The Saga
by James5
Summary: Picking up a few years after STREET FIGHTER II: THE ANIMATED MOVIE, this is a 10 part tale dedicated to the legends, relations, and potential of the collective STREET FIGHTER legacy.
1. Our Yearbook

**The Saga**

By James

**Our Yearbook**

There's very little time between the last button being pressed on one end, and the phone ringing on another.

"…Yes?"

"Are you in the United States?"

"Yes."

"Are you in position?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember everything?"

"Yes."

"Did you remember to _bring_, everything?"

"…Yes."

"Well done…so far," said the feminine voice.

The man's cold face held.

"Proceed. You will be contacted again shortly," there was a slight pause, "to further instill the seriousness of this in our clients. Oh and, B? Carry the phone in your jacket, not on your belt."

His eyebrows flinched as he noticed a slight change of tone momentarily…then they narrowed, angrily. He attached the phone to his belt, tightened his grip on the case…and stepped out of the car.

A few drops of rain began falling.

He entered the warehouse, and in a _shorter_ amount of time than it had taken for his phone to ring, several firearms were pointed at him.

…His cold face held.

With the push of a certain other button, those weapons were turned away.

He looked up towards the second level.

A man holding a small remote spoke while leaning on a railing: "Come on up, Balrog."

* * *

Finally, the door opened again.

The man who'd been sitting still for the past 43 minutes could only tell by hearing it. Suddenly he quit slouching. "…Is…is it actually dark in here, or is it just _me_?"

There was no response.

"Let me guess: this is one of those military bases no one's supposed to know about, right?"

"…"

"Oooh, you're spookin' me."

"…"

"…Guess I should be…" he shifted a little and the small chain between his wrists chimed against the chair "…honored, then—to be here I mean."

"…"

"What, are you just going to stand there? Whoever you are. Isn't this the part where you're supposed to try intimidating me?"

"…"

"Oh, oh I get it. That's what _this_ is. Heh, heh."

"…"

"You're--"

He was interrupted, "If only you could just stick to using that mouth," a few steps followed "…things would be a lot better than they are right now."

The man who had been talking so much was suddenly silent. It wasn't visible but his eyebrows had lifted for a few seconds.

The serious sounding man placed one hand on the table…then reached and pulled a woolsack from the head of a famous fighter.

Enjoying the fresh air so much at first, it takes Ken a few seconds to slowly look from a black belt-buckle…to a green tank-top…to a cold expression that's probably been trademarked at this point.

"…Guile…" he says with widened eyes.

"…" There's a small chuckle in the room. A small sack drops to a table. Shaking his head, the captain turns and walks towards the door. "…Never learn, do you?" he asks with one hand on his hip and the other making a small chop through the air.

Ken leaned back and grinned, "Man oh man, you sound just like--"

"Shut up."

"…"

* * *

Balrog sat down. "Before I say what I'm here to say, I want you to remember two things."

His host sat across from him. His other host leaned against a wall in silence, looking around the small room every minute or so.

"The first being about that remote you're holding there…and how much it's been helping you out lately."

The man slowly glanced behind Balrog and through the open doorway.

Just below, _several_ of Shadowlaw's Monitor Cyborgs were busily at work—having replaced "traditional" workers and guards who were either fired or in jail right now.

Balrog continued, "Your business here would, of course, be dead without Shadowlaw's assistance."

"…You're very blunt," replied the host.

"Yeah you'll notice that about me. These days I have to be even more than usual."

"What? With Shadowlaw's _problems_ and all?" he asked with a hint of cockiness.

"…"

"It all began with that big assault on your headquarters a few years ago, correct?" he glanced at his partner.

The other man grinned back.

"…"

"It's all been going down since then. Your manpower isn't what it used to be. That's why you offered the cyborgs when we came to you."

"…"

"…_Correct_?" he wanted to hear it.

Balrog's hands began to tremble on the briefcase.

"Heh, heh…" he turned to his partner again, "I've heard that these cyborgs are appearing _everywhere_. Man, you all must really be having some hard times."

Balrog's teeth began pressing against each other.

"I'd say you're barely doing better than us 'smaller' organizations."

One of the buttons on Balrog's chest seemed on the verge of popping.

"…"

"…" Balrog exhaled…then smiled gently. He cleared his throat, "As I was saying…our cyborgs—especially with their new additions—have surely been a big help to you."

"That they have."

"Of course, I'm here to discuss _your _end of the bargain."

"…Which is what?"

"Actually it's more a matter of _where_, first and foremost."

* * *

"Man, you're really steamed," said Ken. "What kind of greeting is that? …You know how long I was asking for you?"

"I've been told. They said you couldn't shut-up about me on the way here."

"…_Ohhh_. Oh and you're mad because I'm making you look bad by doing that. Sorry, I--"

"You…"

"…"

"…"

"Sorry, go ahead."

"I obviously can't just look the other way on this one," said Guile with a hint of anger, "not with you captured and all."

"Well, it's all good, right? Can't you just explain to them that I wasn't involved in anything illegal?"

Guile turned to Ken.

"I mean, you, you can do that, right?"

Guile shook his head.

Ken's stomach suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. "H-Hold on. This happened once before…"

"That was on site. You weren't actually _captured_ then."

"I…I don't remember how long ago it was but--"

"Are you even listening?"

"Come on you…you gotta be able to do something."

"…You're going away, Ken."

"Wh…what?"

"I _told_ you to just stay out of it."

"Wait a minute…" Ken stood.

"But you and your little revenge—your, your _honor _or whatever just couldn't let it go."

"…Shadowlaw screwed me over what in the world do you expect?"

"I'll tell you what I _didn't_ expect. What I _didn't _expect was for you to--"

"What would _you _have done?"

"Stop interrupting me…and sit down. What I didn't expect was to find _you_ at the site of major busts—around the world—every now and then, trying to add your own personal contributions."

"You can't let this happen to me…"

"I told you, to _stop_," said Guile calmly. "I told you to leave it to us."

"They…they're going down…"

"Right and so now you just couldn't resist. You never _learn_."

"I was just _there_. Your men grabbed me with those other clowns. I wasn't breakin' the law! I'm not with Sh--"

"It doesn't, _matter_!" it echoed through the room.

"…"

The captain continued, "It doesn't matter why you were there. If you were there, and you _shouldn't _have been, you're going to be charged the _same_ as 'those other clowns.' And those other clowns aren't going to be laughing come their day in court. …Sit down."

"So what are you saying? You'll let me go away, too?"

"This one's out of my hands."

"No, no…no I know there's gotta be something you can do. They'll _listen _to you."

"K--" Guile's eyes rolled and were soon covered by a hand. He stood there leaning his head for a moment.

"All right look, I'm sorry, all right? I'm sorry." Ken began speaking under his breath. "Look just…just work with me here for a minute. There's got to be _something_ you're for--"

"Ken…" Guile faced him again.

"What? …What?"

"…I'm _sorry_…but I can't protect you this time," he turned and headed for the door.

"…No…no no no no, wait a minute. Wait! Things are different now. I can't do time."

"I warned you."

"I got a wife, and I got a kid!"

"Whom you should've thought once more about before you snuck off!"

"Listen, man, I just wanted to help make the world a safer place for them."

"I _told_ you to…you know what? I don't have time for this." Guile entered the hallway.

"You've got a wife and a daughter!"

"…"

"Put yourself on the other side of this table."

"…" Guile closed the door—with a slam.

* * *

The rain was coming down a little harder.

"…You want us to go _where_, to do _what_?"

"I'm sure you heard me," replied Balrog.

The two partners exchanged glances.

"That's crazy."

"But not impossible," the former boxer continued. "All we need to do for now is get there. We worry about meeting up with whoever else I can recruit then. You two were chosen because of your skill. You're not exactly on _street fighter _level, but you're very good with weapons."

"…We…we need time to think about this."

"Which brings me to that _second_ point," said Balrog. "In case you're thinking of declining…you should remember who I'm speaking for."

The two partners exchanged glances again.

"No matter what state Shadowlaw may be in…groups like you should always know to fear the name of--"

_BAM_!

All three men turned.

The two front doors downstairs have been broken down.

…And a large squad of armed and armored soldiers suddenly rushes in.

The Monitor Cyborgs across the large room react by turning and aiming their weapons.

The three men in the room upstairs begin walking towards the door.

The bullets begin flying.

The three men begin ducking.

The Cyborg heads and arms begin coming off.

The soldiers begin taking cover behind crates and conveyor belts.

"Let me guess: both of you were getting so comfortable that you didn't bother to arm yourselves, right?" Balrog asked the others on the floor.

"Did _you_?"

"Left it in the car. If the cyborgs had detected it when I came in…"

"I've got some stuff in the desk," said the other man, slowly crawling around.

Several soldiers start working together on something…and several shots start tearing through one cyborg's torso.

For a moment, the victim suddenly faces upwards with an open mouth while twitching…then drops.

Balrog and his companions notice that the light in their room has suddenly been cut off. Then they turn and realize that the same has happened in the large area just below the doorway.

A moment later, a rope drops down outside the window behind their heads.

The confused soldiers on the lower level begin taking cover again, as the room is lit momentarily by the weapons being used against them.

Seconds of silence pass.

Then the soldiers are shot at again, causing many to duck even lower.

A few attempts at retaliation suddenly aren't working very well anymore. Even though the soldiers can't see very well in the dark, the Monitor

Cyborgs are having no problem locking onto the heat being generated by their opponents.

Upstairs, the man reaching for his weapons in the desk notices something from the corner of his eye.

The window shatters as a masked figure crashes through it—striking the man nearby on the way, then following up quickly with an attack that leaves him nearly unconscious.

Balrog and the other man turn in shock, hearing the rain more clearly now.

The figure lets go of the rope attached to the roof and hops over the desk, charging.

As Balrog's companion rises and takes a swing, the figure _catches_ the right-hand with a _left_, swings a right-handed chop to the man's neck, quickly uses _both hands_ to give the captured right arm a strong twist, then throws a kick to the man's head while he's on one knee in pain.

As his other companion falls, Balrog takes a few steps back, soon noticing he has the figure's full attention.

There's stillness and silence for a few seconds.

Slowly, the figure reaches up and removes the concealing hood.

Balrog clutches the briefcase a little tighter where he stands.

A flash of lightening illuminates the small room—further revealing the face of Chun-Li.

Downstairs, the shots continue.

Taking advantage of the flash, one of the soldiers manages to hit a cyborg in the back…then ducks as others retaliate.

At this point, those who've launched the bust are also worried about hitting each other.

Upstairs, it doesn't take too long for Balrog to not only be knocked out of the room but _over_ the nearby railing. As this happens, the phone attached to his belt becomes undone, landing not too far from the doorway.

With case in hand, Balrog falls.

A few soldiers glance upwards and witness it.

Balrog lands on a standing Monitor Cyborg, nearly crushing it.

Chun-Li slowly steps out of the room above.

The cyborgs pause their assault.

Hardly a normal guy, Balrog shortly recovers—seizing a dropped weapon…and aiming upwards.

A surprised look comes over Chun-Li's face.

Balrog fires.

The shot hits Chun-Li's torso…sending her down.

For the soldiers below, time almost seems to stop as they watch in stunned horror.

Everyone begins aiming for Balrog—who drops the weapon and runs in response. A shot meant for him hits a cyborg instead.

The cyborgs turn back to their opponents.

Using the same side door as earlier, Balrog runs for his car, making _sure _not to drop the briefcase.

The soldiers scurry, moving from one stack of crates to another as the sounds of bullets hitting walls continues.

Some continue shooting back…and missing.

Balrog frantically searches for his keys.

The Monitor Cyborgs begin standing in a specific formation, aiming on nearly all sides of the building.

After taking so many shots in the dark, the soldiers find themselves needing to reload _first_.

Balrog opens the door and gets in the car.

Suddenly, two grenades land among the group of cyborgs.

The cyborgs pause, analyzing the targets.

The grenades explode.

The cyborgs fly…in pieces.

Moments later, the soldiers begin standing. No more shots can be heard.

Everyone looks _upward_…and everyone sees Chun-Li, holding a spot on her damaged armor.

The sound of a distant engine suddenly gets everyone's attention.

The men begin running outside, while a surprised Chun-Li turns and heads back into the room. Moving past the desk where she found the grenades, she reaches the window and pulls out her service weapon.

A nervous Balrog drives off.

Several shots from a few soldiers with ammo remaining follow him. Simultaneously, Chun-Li is sending a few rounds from the opening she made in the room above.

…No success, and all the noise ends.

Everyone lets it go…for the moment.

Then the phone starts ringing. Balrog's phone—which of course, isn't with him anymore because he didn't carry it in his jacket.

Slowly, Chun-Li turns. Quickly, she moves across the room again, steps just outside, picks the device up, and presses a button.

She says nothing—naturally.

"…Hello?" says a feminine voice. "Balrog?" it continued.

…Chun-Li noticed something.

"Balrog, are you there? …Hello?"

The voices sounded similar on the phone…but there were definitely _two _of them.

Chun-Li's eyebrows lowered for a few seconds.

There was a beep. The other end had hung up.

* * *

A few days later, Ken was making a call of his own. "…No. …No I, I didn't want you to come out because…I didn't want him to see this. I, I mean or _you_."

Guile was standing a few yards away, glancing nowhere in particular.

"Yeah…Eliza, look, there'll be a day, maybe two I hear, after the trial. _That's _when I want you to come."

The captain found he couldn't make eye contact with the other two guards in the hall.

"Mm hmm. I don't know…I don't know; they've been speeding up trial dates lately. …Something to do with this whole Shadowlaw thing that's going down. Maybe they're getting overzealous. Can't blame them…since I know all about that."

Guile's fingers held the folder a bit tighter.

"All right, then. …No, no I don't want you to put him back on," Ken said the last of it rather quietly. "I…I gotta go.

…Me too, honey. Always. …I'll talk to you soon."

Ken hung up. It took him a bit longer than usual to let go of the receiver.

About 30 minutes later, one case ended. Chun-Li stood up. Both of the men her team had caught decided to talk, revealing where Balrog had headed during trial—in hopes of helping themselves.

About one minute later, another case began. Guile stood as Chun-Li continued stepping outside.

"…Masters, Ken," said the judge.

Ken remained still and silent beside his lawyer.

The judge's head turned, "Captain Guile, I understand you'd like to make an early appeal?"

Guile's throat cleared, "Yes, Your Honor…"

One of Ken's eyebrows rose a bit but his expression didn't change.

"…Given that this is a case of the defendant being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it's been determined that he is _not _an employee or associate of the enemy the strike was commissioned against—Shadowlaw—I'd…" Guile opened the folder "…like to impose a probationary alternative."

"Captain Guile, all of those articles must first be cleared--"

"I spoke with the Lt. Colonel yesterday, Your Honor. In person."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"You flew that far just to catch up with him, did you?"

Ken's eyes were moving about, looking somewhat confused.

"Yes. There should be no need to delay the case. I have his signature here…alongside mine. All it needs now is yours, Your Honor. As long as you agree, of course."

"Approach please."

"Sit down," whispered Ken's lawyer, patting him on the shoulder and moving forward with the captain.

Guile nodded at the attorney as they approached.

In his seat, Ken watched both men with a calm kind of stunned expression.

15 minutes later, Ken was on the phone again. "Eliza. Guess what?" he said with a slowly developing smile.

With crossed arms, Guile was facing a large window in a quiet hallway.

A chuckle escaped her mouth, "When you think about it, it's kind of like community service, that article," said Chun-Li.

"Yeah, except he has to be someone's responsibility while doing this: mine."

"Well you're the one who wanted to save him. Again." She was a few yards up the hall, staring out one of the opposite windows.

"I just did it for his family."

Chun-Li said nothing.

"I mean he…he brought up mine and said I should put myself in his place."

"…"

"So, anyway…"

"You also did it for him."

"What?"

"You did it to protect him. Because you knew he didn't deserve the punishment. Because you cared."

"Well…he _also _kept mumbling about having some big, important event coming up soon. So I guess I could sympathize."

"Yeah, sure. I don't know why so many people around here seem to take friendships for granted."

"Who said he…wait a minute, you talk as though you don't have friends or something. What about me? What about everyone here, and back at Interpol?"

"Yeah…I guess you're right," she said calmly.

Guile turned to the window again. "…So you said it sounded like them on the phone? …Like Juni and Juli?"

"Mm hmm."

There was a brief pause. "…Heh," he banged the window with his knuckles.

Chun-Li turned.

"_They_ were supposed to be out of it, too—a long time ago. At least that's what I…I don't know why I ever bother hoping," said Guile.

Chun-Li was silent.

"Just can't keep 'em down. Whether it's Ken, _them_, Balrog, Sagat, or any of the rest—be they criminals or 'allies' getting involved for personal reasons—it's like it's all one big school or something, and when a certain day comes I get to review: Who _emerged_? Which names are in the book _this _year?"

"Guile, would you just calm down? Think about what's happening for us. Finally. The downfall of Shadowlaw might really be at hand, we just had another successful bust, and we've got a lead on Balrog being commissioned."

"…"

"Doesn't any of that put you in a good mood?"

The hardened captain's serious eyes rose, looking forward. After a moment he spoke. "…Yeah…" he said calmly. "…I guess that does make it a nice day."


	2. Dove's Dawn

Dove's Dawn

**--England**

She steps out of a coffee shop—her favorite one.

For some reason it's the same temperature outside as it was inside. She pulls her coat a bit tighter, and begins walking.

It's a very foggy day.

She nears a storm drain, watching a steady flow of water entering it.

She doesn't know why, but this holds her attention. It even charms her a little. She stands still, deciding to observe. She smiles.

Then she looks forward again. Something's coming. It's floating. It's flying.

Slowly emerging in the distance, a bird of some sort moves toward her.

Suddenly there's a ringing. She turns. It's a pay phone right behind her. "…Ethan?"

Suddenly there's a step or two. She turns. There's a woman standing right beside her. "…Grandma?"

Suddenly there's a click of some kind. She turns.

Far above across the street, someone is watching her. Pointing at her. _Aiming _for her.

She looks down. The water running into the ground has turned red.

…No…it's not water.

Part of it suddenly jumps up and sticks to her torso.

…No…that's not what it is on her.

She looks upward across the street.

…BLAM

"Hnng!" Suddenly she wakes up. Suddenly she pulls up.

The phone by her bed keeps ringing.

She's wearing a gray tee shirt and shorts. The air conditioner is making hers a very chilly bedroom.

The phone rings again.

She's breathing heavily with stunned eyes.

…The phone rings again.

Without looking she reaches.

"…Hello," her voice is deep, quiet, and quick.

There's a bit of daylight reaching into the room and that's it.

"Cammy?"

"Yeah, yes what?"

The impatience in her voice makes him guilty suddenly. "You'd…better get dressed."

_Ethan hated waking me…especially for this._

_I hated it too. I hate it still. No one likes getting up when they don't feel like it. No one likes staying up when they don't feel like it. I want to snuggle my head against a pillow. I want to pull the covers over me…and I'll make sure they stay there this time. I want to close my eyes and…just not care, about anything._

_But I'm not doing that right now. I'm doing this right now. And whether I want to or not…I have to be good at it._

_After all, I'm trying to prove myself…_

_…all over again._

**6:36am**

**_--Outside--_**__

Rain falls from a sad sky.

A yellow line with the words "CRIME SCENE – DO NOT CROSS" typed on it again and again is lifted.

Cammy ducks under it while giving a simple thanks. She keeps walking until she reaches a certain someone. "What've we got?"

A young man about her age with short brown hair turns his head. "Oh. …Well, didn't you hear me on the phone?"

"Yeah I mean when did it happen?"

Several others from their division are moving about around them.

"The examiners say about an hour ago. No one heard it," he sighed.

Cammy looks down at the body.

Ethan steps a bit closer, taking her under the umbrella as well.

"Thank you," she replies.

"This will make for the 8th in two months."

She turns to him, "This is another Shadowlaw operative?"

"Well who else? Our killer is very picky."

"…And the bullet is from a sniper rifle again?"

"You feeling all right?"

Cammy began backing up.

"Whoa, where are you going?"

"…I can't be here right now."

"You're the lead on this investigation. …That's why I--"

"And _you_ can finish up here. …I _don't _want to be standing around here right now." Cammy turned and spoke to herself. "…I don't."

**10:41pm**

**_--The Home of Senator Leeds--_**

"What's happened?"

"…John, you'd better sit down."

"No I don't want to sit down tell me what's happened!"

"…Rachel's missing."

**3 Days Later**

**_--Outside--_**__

He's running because he's worried about being late.

He didn't dare use his own vehicle for this.

He tried catching several cabs and failed before the right one came along.

A few minutes later he enters the alley and turns the corner. He sees that they're still here.

The first thing they do is point out that it's almost 11:00.

He apologizes.

He gives them the money.

They give him the weapons.

He leaves.

They leave.

He starts trying to catch another cab. He's standing still.

Then a bullet enters his skull.

People run and scream.

* * *

**7:23am**

_Another dead Shadowlaw agent. I'm supposed to care._

_"Where are you flying off to, little dove?"_

_Huh?!_

* * *

**_--Interpol--_**

"…"

"…"

"…Cammy?"

"…" There was a distant look in her eyes.

Ethan snapped his fingers, "Cam…"

Her grip tightened on the coffee and she looked up.

"You all right?"

"…Yeah."

He sat down across from her. They're in the lounge. She's still wearing her trench coat.

"I…really don't want to discuss the latest shooting right now," she looked away.

"…I know you don't like investigating crimes _against _Shadowlaw."

"…"

"But try to remember, we're not doing this for _them_, we're simply doing it because it's our job. Because it's the right thing to do."

"You sound just like a superhero or something."

He chuckled, "Yes I, suppose I do."

Cammy grinned at the table.

"But I'm only a man. People like you and me get to do this stuff the hard way. No flying or, or telepathic rays or whatever."

"…"

"…Hey…maybe you were on to something there. _Telepathy_."

"…" She looked up. "What?"

"Come on you were given the lead in this case because of your…_history_, with Shadowlaw. They think you may still know certain things, like who their major enemies would be, or what they'll do in retaliation."

"They can't do much in retaliation. We all know they've been running out of weapons in this country."

"Yes but the point, the point I was making is, _think_ like someone else here. That's what I'm going to do. Maybe Shadowlaw. Maybe the killer. If you get into the head of one side then maybe we can learn more."

"…" A slow smile came across Cammy's face.

"…"

"Oh I've gotten into someone's head before—in a way," she replied. "…And I did a very _interesting _job there."

He was silent. He watched her eyes wander off, going distant again…only with a small smirk as well this time. "…Cammy…"

"Hey, Ethan," she whispered. "…Want to hear a fairy tale?"

"…"

"There's this one my grandmother used to tell me when I was little."

"…"

"Much later, I added my own twist to it."

"…"

"Say there are these two people—a man and a woman—trapped in this room."

"…"

"_Nothing's _in it but_ them_. Nothing. No clothes. No furniture. No entertainment."

"…"

"Since they can't get out any other way, they look to the windows."

"…"

"Turns out the room's floating through space."

"Cammy…"

"They can't escape. They can't call for help. They can't entertain themselves."

"…"

"All they can do is make love…before one of them dies." The smile on Cammy's face was still there. Her stare hadn't budged.

"…"

"…"

"…Cammy?"

"…"

Ethan snapped his fingers, "Cam…"

Her grip tightened on the coffee and she looked up.

"…I think it's time for your pills, isn't it?"

She turned and slowly nodded, "Mm hm."

Ethan stood and left the table.

Cammy remained in the silent room.

_He thinks I'm crazy. That's cute._

* * *

**3:26pm**

**_--The Home of Senator Leeds--_**

"Excuse me, Senator?"

"…"

He knocks twice on the open door, "John?"

"…Yes?"

"It's for you."

"Take a message, please."

"It's…it's the people who have your daughter."

He stands up, "What?"

* * *

**2 Days Later**

**_--Outside--_**__

A beautiful park. A beautiful day.

And in the distance, a car pulls up. The man behind the wheel looks out the window with a smile.

The classical music he just turned off continues to play on a radio in the park.

Sitting by the radio is the man's wife.

Not too far away is a young boy.

They're alone…until they notice someone they haven't seen in a while approaching.

The woman stands with a smile.

The boy begins running.

The man runs as well.

The harmony continues.

Their legs kick up a little pollen and dust.

A small cloth brushes a little dust from a piece of glass.

A strong grip touches a young boy's waist.

A strong grip touches a handle.

A small boy is picked up and spun.

A small silencer is placed on a tip and spun.

The father pulls a pair of glasses over both eyes, getting a better look.

The sniper pulls a scope over one eye, getting a better look.

The boy and his father start playing Frisbee. The woman watches.

The father tosses the disk far above and beyond the young boy's head.

The young boy stares as it flies…then turns and runs off after it.

The father smiles.

The mother giggles.

The sniper pauses.

And the harmony ends.

* * *

_This girl who's been abducted—Rachel—she's…she's younger, than I was._

* * *

**11:15am**

**_--Interpol--_**__

"The public is in a frenzy, the media won't stop calling, and the bosses are getting restless. Wait, make that _beyond _restless," said Ethan.

"…"

"Cammy?"

"Hmm?"

"This time it was in a park. And yes, the man _was _with Shadowlaw. I think I…I think I may have come up with something."

"…"

"What, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Hmm?"

"Are you even hearing me?"

"I…I just wish I could figure out what's happened with this girl."

"That's not ours…"

"I know. I know. But--"

"Cammy…I think this is as simple as a certain number."

"…What?"

"Think about it. When was Shadowlaw's presence first felt? I mean really?"

"…"

"And now look at what's happening. Look at what's happening right now. Shadowlaw's presence is fading more and more every week. No one's willing to _say it _just yet but we all know it's nearly over for them."

"…"

"This whole thing with the sniper is a way of honoring that…taken a little too far."

"…"

"12 years ago Shadowlaw began its rise. Now, it's about to fall, and this sniper has claimed 10 victims so far—all Shadowlaw-related hits."

"…"

"If I'm _right_, then we'll have two more chances to…Cammy…"

"…" She turned to him, "Hm?"

" 'Hm.' Have you heard anything that I've said?"

"…"

_As we all know, there are several secret codes in this world. Every now and then someone uncovers one they shouldn't and royally screws themselves. I guess it was a few months ago now that Senator Leeds' daughter, while playing a PC game, entered a combination that unlocked a short session of bishoujo—"entertainment" for those who are bored, lonely, and hormonal all at the same time. Rachel apparently found it charming. That irked her dad even more, who didn't exactly feel the same way when he found out._

_So he went and took it upon himself to see that no more copies of this game made it to England. He got his way. But the people holding his daughter now are demanding he change his mind. He's complied, of course, but they're not letting her go until all the paperwork's done with. Talk about dedicated fans._

**One Day Later**

**_--Outside--_**__

He's talking on a cell phone.

His mom asks if he'll have a clear schedule on his birthday. He laughs, telling her not to bother making a big fuss about it.

He's standing in the middle of a thick fog.

It doesn't matter.

A few seconds later his mom asks another question.

There's no response.

She repeats herself.

There's still no response.

She says his name.

There's still no response.

She says his name again.

* * *

**8:12pm**

**_--The Office of Senator Leeds--_**

"Why haven't they contacted me yet?"

"…I don't know, John."

"I _did_, what they said. The game will be coming back here. It _will_. Why isn't that good enough?"

"I wish I could tell you."

"…I mean it's just, a stupid, game. What's so important about a stupid game unless…"

"…What?"

"I think we should take a second look at the company that developed it. …Yeah. I think…I mean who else would profit?"

"The company doesn't _need _the money, John. This is only the latest in a popular series here, and it's been doing great elsewhere."

"Yeah…it's popular. _That's _how my daughter found out about that code." He brought one hand over his eyes for a moment and sighed.

"…Rachel's everything to me. I mean I, I get so busy and I…"

"She knows."

"I forget to _be there_, you know…when I'm there."

"…"

"When I took the game away from her she…got angry and reminded me of that. And now this happens."

"You'll get her back, John."

"Yeah. …I complied with them so, they're going to give her back. I'll comply with whatever they want. I'm a parent first. …And sometimes a parent has to do whatever it takes to protect a child."

_Sometimes a child has to do whatever it takes to protect a parent. I know this. I do. Or at least, I once did._

_And suddenly, a bullet comes out of nowhere, striking down a human being. Who knows what really comes first after that—the pain or the blood. Every time someone gets a good look at the latter they're quick to relate it to the former. So why not the other way around?_

_Anyway…I'm just doing what Ethan's been doing. Playing around with a little psychology._

_…Can't keep my focus there, though. Something's bugging me. The girl. The game. Something about this game seems…familiar._

_But I, I don't remember._

* * *

**7:36am**

**--Outside--**

They all step out of a coffee shop—her favorite one. She pulls her trench coat a little closer.

They begin walking.

"The attacks have suddenly become more frequent," says Ethan.

Cammy doesn't respond.

Ethan rolls his eyes and turns the conversation elsewhere.

"This could mean that the sniper wants to get away soon. But probably not before reaching the goal."

A few of the others nod.

"There have been 11 hits now…"

A rifle is lifted.

"All on Shadowlaw associates."

A rifle is aimed.

"If the next one is meant to be the last…"

A sniper looks through a scope.

"…Then we're going to have to start working even faster, than double time."

They pause, waiting for an orange light to go away.

A sniper relaxes.

He's looking at a story.

A story of young courage…and unexpected twists.

His view moves from her boots to her knees.

A story of stolen innocence…and tragic love.

His view moves from her knees to her stomach.

A story of betrayal…both unconscious and conscious.

His view moves from her stomach to her face.

He decides to end the story.

"…Die…" whispers his cold voice.

A bird of some kind flaps past Cammy's face. Cammy pulls away with squinted eyes just as the sniper pulls the trigger.

A bullet hits…the ground.

"THERE!" yells Ethan.

Guns all around Cammy start sounding off.

Cammy doesn't budge. Her eyes follow the bird as it flies away, trance-like.

She realizes what it is.

* * *

_"Ha, ha. Can't catch me, Grandma! …Hey, Grandma!"_

_The older woman turned._

_"Can't catch me!" she starts running again._

_"Oh. And where are you flying off to, little dove?"_

_The young blonde girl flapped her arms with a laugh while running._

* * *

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

The retaliation continued.

The sight of the sniper disappeared.

"That building! Come on!" yelled one of the agents.

They ran.

Ethan turned and slowed down. "Cammy! Cammy, come on! Snap out of it!"

She stood, still looking towards the sky.

He began walking over to her, "That shooter was likely aiming for you this time! You see?"

She slowly looked downward.

He clutched her arms, shaking her a little. "Cammy…"

"What's going on?" asked another agent, returning to them.

"This shooter is going after anyone who's ever had ties to the Shadowlaw organization," Ethan replied.

"I know…" said Cammy softly.

"What?" he swung back to her.

"I know…" she said, staring at the ground and clutching her head.

"You know what? Who the sniper is?"

She slowly looked at him. "…Maybe where the girl is."

_For a very long time now, humankind has been eager to explore its world. That's a part of our individual and collective nature—the latter being where all these things called underground bases come in. There's a certain one I haven't been to in a long time—when I stopped "working" for Shadowlaw I also stopped knowing about it. But the pills…some of them have been…helping._

_Back in the old days it took two keycards to open the door. Today I decided to just bring a bazooka instead._

Following the blast, a brief skirmish ensues.

Following the brief skirmish, several guns are smoking.

Following the surrender of the Shadowlaw agents still alive, Cammy and a few others walk into a smaller room.

There they find a teary-eyed girl named Rachel.

Moments after the girl is freed, Ethan notices something.

"Cammy?"

"…"

"What's wrong?"

She couldn't say much of anything at the moment.

* * *

_Who would've known that what began as a simple game could go so far._

_Well, that's sort of the point here I guess. Shadowlaw has, of course, smuggled weapons to their agents around the world for years. I remembered…_

_One means for this in England has secretly been through that game. That series, of games. It's first delivered by boat, and some of the crates that look like they're holding copies are really…_

_I can't remember just who on the inside of that whole business collaborates with Shadowlaw. Probably because I never found out that much. Of course, while I've received my cheers for the girl's rescue, my main focus is still supposed to be on the sniper concern._

_Don't really know why everyone's so obsessed with that. It's Shadowlaw who's getting hit, after all. And really, when you think about it, a shot from a sniper is perhaps the purest form of death, because it's just like the beginning of life: in both cases, you never see it coming._


	3. The Warrior World

The Warrior World

"…

I've done a lot of traveling in my time."

"…"

"Occasionally I come across someone who looks sort of familiar, but I can't quite remember them."

"…"

"They always know me, though, and by the way they talk and act—they call me by name and shake my hand—I can tell they aren't just fans, or former opponents."

"…"

"And it never lasts very long at all. We chat briefly about how things are going, then we each head back on our way, saying we'll see each other around."

"…"

"…I wonder sometimes if they were angels…trying to tell me something."

"…"

"…Saying that if I continue this kind of lifestyle…pretty soon I'll be with one of them."

"You really believe that?" asked the feminine voice on the other end.

He looked down at the red headband in his free hand. "No."

* * *

"Hey, what are you still doing hanging around here?" asked the man wearing the shades.

"…"

"You aren't thinking of calling it off?"

"Heh… …no chance," replied the caped fighter.

"Well that's the spirit."

A long moment of silence passed.

"…"

The man in shades spoke again, "So, um…what are you doing still hanging around here?"

"…Feels like I'm not supposed to go without taking a part of this place with me."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard. You can certainly afford any piece of the old dump you want."

"Funny…" Fei Long sat on one of the stools.

"Oh, so you really mean in a more personal sort of way. See? Remember once I said how this place will always bring ya back?"

"…It's not just this place."

"What else is it?"

"This whole area…it's where I grew up. I know it like the back of my cape."

He snapped his fingers, "_Funny_."

Fei Long smiled.

"_So_…is there a problem?"

The star spoke, "…You know how, you can get some good things in life, but end up feeling sort of guilty in the back of your head because, well…what _led _to them wasn't all that good?"

"…Do _you_?"

"…For some reason that's snuck up on me."

"What?"

"My…my childhood experiences are what first led me _here_. …And _here_ is what led me…where I am today. The fame. The fortune."

"Don't tell me _you _had a hard time growing up."

"…"

He spoke under his breath, "Oh, he's about to tell me he had a hard time growing up."

"What makes you think I'd be any different from anyone else? I just told you I haven't _always_ been where I am now."

"Well, maybe not the glamour, but…you know, couldn't you kick butt, even back in those days?"

Fei Long was quiet as he looked downward.

"…"

"My father was the aggressive one back then."

The man listened closely.

"He was a hunter. I always had to go with him." There was a pause. "…It was hard to be around him, when he was in that _state_."

"…"

"He'd mumble about what he had planned for the prey in this deep voice. He'd scream at them. He'd shoot at them. He'd take stabs at them. He'd warn me not to look away, then call me names when I did."

"…"

"…But the most disturbing thing of all…more disturbing than any of that…was this look in his eyes." Fei Long frowned angrily.

"…"

"My father wanted me to _learn _everything he was teaching me—even though he knew I resented him for it, which made me resent him even more."

He shifted a little.

"So I deliberately resisted. I deliberately looked elsewhere. I wanted him to _know _it. I shunned him. I _betrayed _him. I sought out and proudly 'idolized' _other_ things similar to _his_ kind of pastime. And I was so loud about it, man."

"Hmm," he chuckled.

"…That look of his…it began scaring me even more when he realized what I was doing. But I was determined not to let him win. So I kept it up."

"…"

"…" Fei Long slowly grinned. "Then I…something I wasn't expecting happened. …It suddenly wasn't just about hate anymore."

"…"

"I had a hero."

* * *

"I am the hunter," said Ryu.

"…"

"I hibernate, reviewing what I've learned."

"…"

"I awaken, and head out once again."

"…"

"I move from place to place…looking for them."

"…"

"They know me. They respect me," he held the strap of one glove, "…some of them even fear me."

"…"

"I never wanted that."

"…"

"I never wanted anyone else to think I'm the best."

"…"

"All I've wanted…is to be able to think that myself."

"…"

"…That's one battle I'm not sure I'll ever win."

* * *

"Well _she_…" said Fei Long, "…she was something of a wild one herself."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah my, my mother was always causing herself some trouble."

"Hmm."

"I mean since _her_ childhood. …She had quite the mouth on her. And in our neighborhood, there were these two other families…"

"…"

"Some serious people. Not the kind to take any crap."

"…"

"But my mom had her issues, and her mouth, and her pride so…there were a lot of mornings where I'd wake up to screaming matches. I'd open my window, look down, and see my mom out there going crazy."

"Did it ever turn physical?"

"Oh yeah. My mom may have been something _verbally_, but more than half the time when she pushed one of them too far, _she'd _be the one running."

"…"

"…All the way back to our house. One time I saw someone chase her inside, then a few seconds later she was up in my room hiding behind me. The other woman was all in my face yelling, trying to get to her."

"Ha…"

"Eventually I got upset about it, and started telling my mom off. Telling her she shouldn't start anything she couldn't finish."

"…"

"She snapped at _me_ then, of course. And I…suddenly in that moment I decided I was man enough to snap _back_. I stepped forward and yelled louder."

"…"

"I've never forgotten the way she pulled back, covering herself…like she was afraid of me."

"…Really?"

"I then saw my mom for what she really was—what she had pretty much _made_ of herself. …She was the hunted."

"…"

"It's hard to describe. I felt bad about joining the list of people who could do that to her…but it…it _also _gave me a sense of power—that I could have that effect on someone…and not just anyone—_her_. A parent."

"…Then what?"

"Well I took that power with me everywhere. School. Clubs. Everywhere. If a teacher tried bossing me around, I'd cross my arms and give them a response I was sure would get under their skin."

He chuckled again.

"If I thought another kid was acting like a jerk, I'd challenge him—on the spot, in front of all the others."

"…"

"I decided I didn't have to take any crap from anybody, or put up with anything I didn't like. Things had changed for me then. I had my mom's mouth and my hero's example as a physical backup."

"…"

"I had an attitude."

* * *

"I am the hunted," said Ryu.

"…"

"I receive challenges; challenges having nothing to do with a tournament."

"…"

"I receive _messages_, from those hoping to fight in a more formal manner."

"…"

"They follow my trail from place to place…wanting my band…" he was looking at the small red linen in his hand, "…wanting my blood."

"…"

"They know me. They envy me. …Some of them even hate me."

"…"

"It's not what I wanted…but it's fine," he said with bold eyes.

"…"

"Without _them_…there is no me."

* * *

"And my agents say, 'This next one is important.' "

"…"

"Then they remind me, 'That _last _one you passed by would've paid _this much_, or _that much_.' "

"Yeah…"

"You know how much the first movie I ever got was offering?"

"How much?"

"3oo a day for a three-week shoot."

"…That's _all_?"

"Low budget, small part. But what I'm saying is, I _began_ not really making the big bucks, so I never really got too _attached_ to them when they started rolling in. I'm grateful for them, of course…"

"Of course…"

"But during the past several months I've been focusing less on all that and more on something else. Because there's something I consider more important right now."

"Which is…?"

"…Right now I have the same thing that brought me _here_," said Fei Long. "I have the same thing that got me where I am today."

"…"

"I have a goal."

* * *

"This one coming up—I mean if I'm in the final—it means something," said Ryu.

"I know."

"They all do."

"…But this one would be your 300th."

"_Professional _anyway."

"…"

"I have to finish the last of my training now."

"I know…"

"I have a goal."

"I know."

"…I'll talk to you soon." A few seconds later Ryu put down the receiver.

A few seconds later…so did a young friend of his named Sakura.

* * *

**45 Hours Later**

10,000 screaming Japanese fans erupt as the fight begins. Few of them know it's a rematch.

Fei Long stares at Ryu with just a hint of caution…inching closer and closer.

Ryu holds a calm stare and a ready stance…not taking his eyes off of his opponent's.

Fei Long stands still a moment.

Ryu blinks, the stare not budging.

"…"

"…"

In a blur, Fei Long suddenly dashes in with what looks like a forearm or elbow.

Ryu blocks, almost instantly, getting a rise out of the crowd…then a louder one as he takes Fei Long, rolls on his back, and tosses him overhead.

Impressively, Fei Long rolls into a summersault and spins back around after getting up.

And just as he plans to strike, a powerful sidekick connects, throwing him back again.

The crowd loves it, going into a bit of applause.

Fei Long clutches his gut with one arm while, instinctively, ready to defend with the other.

Ryu stands, waiting.

A slow smile comes across Fei Long's face.

Fei Long summersaults forward.

Ryu dashes ahead as well.

After standing, Fei Long suddenly pulls back—_just dodging _the incredible uppercut Ryu's launched.

A look of surprise comes over Ryu's face in the air.

With no effort at all, Fei Long twists, then fires a beautiful spinning kick upward.

Ryu recognizes the look…and feel.

The crowd erupts again.

Ryu lands on his back.

Fei Long—_quickly_—lands on his feet.

Suddenly, Ryu summersaults himself backward, and throws a sweep kick afterwards.

Fei Long is down again, but _up_ again soon enough.

As both men stand, Ryu, a bit surprised, pulls back from a punch being thrown at him.

"…" Fei Long pauses in shock. In Ryu's eyes, for a moment…he sees his mother.

"…" Ryu sends a knee to his opponent's midsection.

Fei Long is pushed back.

Ryu goes into a hurricane kick immediately as the follow-up.

Fei Long ducks, watching Ryu glide right over him in the nearly two-rotation attack.

Fei Long stands and throws a kick.

_Just_ as he lands, Ryu—before turning—blocks with a forearm. As the fan favorite spins around, he's hit by an elbow to the midsection.

Ryu retaliates with a successful standing uppercut.

Expecting a follow-up punch, Fei Long ducks. He ends up feeling a strike of some kind on top of his head.

Dazed, Fei Long manages to grab Ryu while they're still close enough, and follows through with a throw of his own.

…Ryu lands on his feet.

Fei Long is rushing in again.

Ryu extends his right leg behind him, bends a little…then meets Fei Long with another hurricane kick—this one connecting.

On the floor, Fei Long stares up at Ryu while rubbing his chin. His vision is a bit blurry. The count for him to get up begins.

With both fists balled, Ryu bends a little at the knees, waiting.

Slowly…Fei Long stands. He pulls his guard up.

Then, there's a disturbance in the crowd suddenly.

Ryu turns.

Fei Long is slouching a little and planning his next move.

Several security guards are converging on a certain section—on a certain someone.

As one nearly arrives, the man in the crowd suddenly stands, tosses his glasses off…and throws a blow that sends the guard down a few rows.

Even from where he's standing, Ryu recognizes the man now running: Balrog.

The other guards, reluctant to draw their weapons in a crowd, don't have much more success.

The scene has quite an impact on the audience as several people around the room begin standing.

Balrog runs up the steps and heads out of the arena—soon pursued by security once again.

Ryu turns to Fei Long…then turns back to the scene…then to Fei Long again.

He presses a button on the communicator, "This is Captain Guile. What's the situation in there?"

Feeling a breeze on her face while continuously moving forward beside him is Chun-Li.

Both have their service weapons drawn and at their sides.

"…He got away from you?! What?!"

Chun-Li glances at him a moment, then at the double doors as they near the building.

Watching them from a car in the _distance_ is Ken Masters.

"…I, see I _told _you to just let us work with you on that part," says Guile. "Now there's no telling where he…"

Coming around a corner at high speed is Balrog, driving a van this time. Behind him, just a couple of security guards trail in the distance.

Before him, several civilians who've come to attend another show dive out of the way.

"What the…?" Ken, along with several soldiers watching him, steps out of the car.

"…" A slow, angry frown comes over Chun-Li's face. She steps into the street with Guile and lifts her weapon.

Both begin tearing the windshield up with their shots.

Balrog ducks, keeping the vehicle accelerated.

Guile and Chun-Li continue to fire. The van is dangerously close to them.

Both dive out of the way.

Balrog pulls up, glancing backwards…then forward again as the vehicle moves along.

Suddenly, he notices something he hadn't just a second or two before—or rather, someone.

Having taken one of the exits farther down the lobby, Ryu stands in a classic pose, an aura of blue emanating about him.

Balrog's eyes widen in surprise.

Wasting no time at all, Ryu launches an amazing attack—the legendary _hadouken_.

…It bursts through the weakened windshield…and _slams _into Balrog.

The van screeches and slides.

Ryu, with a bold yet calm look, doesn't move.

Guile and Chun-Li look ahead.

…The van comes to a halt…right in front of the man in the white gi.

Ryu crosses his arms…then looks away.

Guile and Chun-Li are steadily approaching, as are the others with Ken.

Slowly, Ryu turns with a surprised expression at the sight of Ken in the distance.

"Ryu…" says a voice on his side.

He turns…and sees Fei Long.

"Get your hands up! Hands up now!" yell Guile and the other operatives at Balrog in the van.

"I…I forfeited," says Ryu. "…They told me when I was leaving the ring."

Fei Long is silent.

Slowly, Ken is walking up beside them, wondering what's going on…then he realizes when he sees Ryu pause…and reach for his headband.

"…You came for this. …Everyone does," Ryu continues.

Fei Long looks at him quietly and nods.

Ryu stares at it.

Ken does as well.

"…" Ryu extends his hands, offering Fei Long the honor that so many have sought.

Fei Long looks at the band. He looks at Ryu…then looks at the ground as he speaks. "…You know how, you can get some good things in life, but end up feeling sort of guilty in the back of your head because, well…what _led _to them wasn't all that good?"

"…" Ryu nodded.

Fei Long chuckled, "I actually had a discussion with an old friend about this in Hong Kong the other day. See, much as I'm tempted…_that's _how I'd feel right now if I accepted that from you. This way I mean."

Balrog had been pulled out of the van and subdued.

"What you did here was the right thing…especially considering what number this would've been for you," said Fei Long.

Ryu remained quiet.

"So you hold onto that," he continued, pushing one of Ryu's hands back. "…I'm not the one."

"…" Ryu paused.

Fei Long wore a respectful grin.

Ryu put the band back on. The wind lifted its straps into the air as he turned back to the scene behind him.

**6:01pm**

They arrived in the quiet area by Jeep, with Guile at the wheel.

They got out and began walking.

"I'd never have guessed Balrog was coming to Japan," said Ken, casually.

"…Why again?" asked Ryu, looking forward.

"Some plan Shadowlaw's attempting," replied Guile. "My people stationed here are looking into it. He'll be interrogated."

Chun-Li's eyes rose suddenly…as did those of the others.

Ken was in awe. "…You're…living…here?"

In the distance was a dojo. A large, wide dojo. Much wider than a house.

Ryu nodded.

"…Well now that I _know _where this place is…" said Guile.

"I get the rest of the day off?!" asked Ken eagerly.

"…_Don't_,betray my trust, Masters. I promise you I'll hunt you down…and you'll be sorry."

"I don't _doubt _it, big guy."

"Look we're just going to do some fishing," said Ryu. "He'll be here when you send for him. Especially since I want to know more about what's going on here," he gave Ken a look that made his friend feel guilty.

"All right well, thanks for your help back there, Ryu. It's good to see you…again," said Guile as he walked off.

Ryu nodded.

"You coming?"

"Yeah…" Chun-Li replied to the captain. "…Just a minute, I just…want to take in the view around here a moment."

It was indeed a quiet, isolated area. Not unlike Honda's.

Moments later, Ken and Ryu were indeed at the bottom of a cliff, watching the water.

"Remember _that_ tournament? Joe, and all the others?" asked Ken with a smile.

"How could I forget," Ryu nodded.

"Oh…oh yeah, of course," Ken chuckled.

There was a quiet moment.

"So what was really up with Fei Long?"

"…I think he and I both learned something today."

"What's that?"

"One way or another…the way of The World Warrior, always begins with The Warrior World," said Ryu.

"The what?"

"A certain place inside yourself…different for everybody. Defining who you are as a fighter…which eventually defines who you are period. Sometimes you have to confront it before you can confront what's before you. …For a moment today, I had to."

"…"

"…You went there once, right?"

"Hmm," Ken chuckled.

Far above their heads stood Chun-Li.

She remained still for a moment…then turned and walked off.


	4. Roll Call

**Roll Call**

Once again, a team of brave, valiant, well-trained people with memories, families, and several other motivations began an armed strike against a team of people who were just breaking the law.

Once again the battle took place on the site of a warehouse that would no longer be used in exactly the same way after tonight.

Once again, the team leading it all wore black…only just a few minutes ago, they had been joined by their _allies_ in green.

From a bird's-eye view, in front of the building was a gap. Scattered on the wide ground on both sides of it were several cars and trucks, most of which were being used as shields as shots were exchanged again and again. Suddenly, Monitor Cyborgs began slowly marching forward into the opening, as though ordered. They didn't stop firing, however, and their opponents on the other end were now wary of a potential decoy.

Then, one of the trucks on the soldiers' side began to hum, gaining more than a little attention.

Tires screeched, and the vehicle accelerated into the gap.

Everyone on both sides paused, including the cyborgs…who soon learned they should've moved instead.

Several bodies that felt no pain went flying, which effectively put them out of the fight.

One of the cars in front of the warehouse was pushed aside as the truck continued on its path, causing several of the criminals nearby to follow suit before contact.

Finally, the truck reached the building…and a wide opening was created on impact. Moments later, the vehicle stopped with a screech, followed by a small thud. It had apparently hit a very large stack of crates—besides the moonlight shinning in, the illumination from the headlights was all that helped the driver see in there.

After a brief pause…a handheld weapon was readied with a click. A door opened. A boot stuck out, soon followed by another…and Chun-Li cautiously dropped out of the truck.

Suddenly there was the sound of gunfire yet again outside. She nervously skipped forward with her head down, preparing to go and continue helping with that situation…until she heard the sound of a motorboat approaching—from out back.

"…A pickup?" she thought. "Someone's in here."

* * *

_"England?" replied the soldier next to his commander._

_Chun-Li began slipping the gloves on. "It seems the game being used as a cover for the weapons being sent there…is manufactured here."_

_"Yeah, it's…a bishoujo, right? Japanese."_

_"Exactly." Chun-Li holstered her weapon. "…Cammy's work over there may have ended up tying into our own."_

_"So you're sure you don't want to wait for Guile?"_

_"No," she said glancing at him. "I think a few of our teams can handle this."_

_"Ma'am?" said an approaching soldier in green._

_Chun-Li looked at him a moment. "When your captain arrives, would you give him a message for me?" she grinned._

* * *

Tires screeched. Doors opened. More soldiers in green arrived on the scene.

The loud sounds everywhere caused them to hurry up and take cover by their comrades in black, who were just a bit relieved for a moment.

Suddenly, a few of them heard something on what sounded like the top of a nearby vehicle.

Heads turned. Eyes widened.

Captain Guile was literally above everyone with a somewhat unnerved yet brave look on his face…and something far more significant on his right shoulder.

The criminals far across from him suddenly became very nervous.

A shot whizzed by the captain.

…The captain returned fire.

Again weapons dropped and people scattered.

It was too late, however, for some of them.

A vehicle on the defense's side burst into flames and lifted off the ground for a second or two.

Screams were heard. Bodies flew. The score was no longer tied.

Retaliation came, but not before Guile had relived the weight on his shoulder and dropped in with the others on his side. Calmly, the captain pulled out a smaller weapon and took the safety off.

"Sir? …You rock," said one of the men, shaking his head a bit with a smile.

"Thanks," said Guile without looking. Seconds later, the captain sprung up from behind the car and fired two loud rounds…then took cover again.

"Not that we're not grateful," said another, "…but Chun-Li wanted to let you guys sit this one out."

"I couldn't let that happen," said Guile. "…Not after what I may have found out."

* * *

_The room isn't very well lit._

_The man sitting is cuffed to a table._

_The man standing is locking a door._

_"…" Slowly, Guile turns around._

_Slowly, Balrog looks up._

_"Let me make something real clear before we begin: I'm not in the mood for this," says the captain. He takes a few steps. "That means you're going to answer every little question I ask as quickly as possible."_

_Balrog looks to the side._

_Guile reaches the table and places both hands on it, leaning forward a bit._

_The cold, hard stare has arrived._

_Balrog turns, facing it with one of his own._

_The fan overhead keeps spinning and spinning._

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"What's your business here?" asks the captain. "Why'd you drag us out here after you?"_

_"…Just lookin' to get away."_

_"Don't make me angry."_

_"I mean it," says Balrog. "I was just running_ _from Chun-Li after the bust."_

_"No. …You were at that bust for a reason."_

_"…"_

_"You were recruiting. You needed assistance for a job here."_

_"…"_

_"What's the job, Balrog?" asks the captain with a hint of confidence._

_"…"_

_"Oh you, you want to do this the hard way…" says Guile standing up straight. "Fine."_

_"Doesn't seem like a very fair situation," says Balrog, eyeing and rattling the cuffs._

_"What'd I say when I came in here?" asks Guile. "I'm not in the mood for this. So it doesn't really interest me how 'fair' you think the situation is. Now, here's how it works out: You're going to moan. You're going to bleed. And before you leave this room, you're going to talk. You're going to tell me everything about what's going on here, in England, and how--"_

_"England?"_

_"Yeah." Guile's eyebrows rose a moment. "England."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Didn't I say not to make me angry?"_

_"Hold up. You're not sticking me with any bogus charges."_

_"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. I--"_

_"We haven't had any business in England," said a confused Balrog._

_"Stop lying to me. I know all about the weapons, and I know exactly how they've been getting from here to there."_

_"What?"_

_"That's why your people there tried using that little girl to keep the operation running," Guile took a few steps towards the table again._

_"…What in…what are you talking about? I--"_

_"Shut up."_

_"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"_

_"SHUT UP! STOP, LYING!"_

_Both men were standing now._

_"You're not charging me with something I had nothing to do with, Guile."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Especially not when you don't have any evidence."_

_"Oh I'll have it. I hear Chun-Li's out right now getting it."_

_"What?"_

_"Interpol's launched a little raid on the warehouse that sends that game to England. Once we bring in a few of your associates--"_

_"Game?" Balrog's eyes wandered…then he sat back down._

_"…Ready to get serious now?"_

_"…I know…" said Balrog calmly. "Now I think I get it."_

_"What?"_

_Balrog looked at the captain again._

_"…What?!"_

* * *

Two Monitor Cyborgs advanced a bit with somewhat inquiring expressions. Their heads made subtle turns…followed by their waists, as an automatic barrage of rounds fired from their weapons.

Window's shattered on the offense's side. Heads ducked.

"…Those things can pinpoint up from behind all this," said one soldier.

"It's like no matter where we hit, Shadowlaw's always got a bunch of 'em standing by," complained another. "Why?"

"Don't go getting too panicked just yet," Captain Guile was speaking again. "I've arranged for a little assistance."

"That right?"

"Yeah. Should be arriving right, about…"

From _behind _the warehouse, a motorboat sped towards the side of the conflict, slowing to a stop not too far from where the criminals were stationed. It didn't take too long for the noise produced by the vehicle to overpower the noise produced by the fight.

Several heads on the defense's side turned—and were greeted by a few large and very bright lights from the boat.

The sound of moans from some of the criminals were followed by the sounds of weapons hitting the ground; the hands they were previously in were now being used for holding eyes instead.

One of these weapons that fell happened to _roll_ a little afterwards…stopping near where a large squad of still-firing Monitor Cyborgs stood.

Guile was one of the soldiers preparing to return fire when something caught the side of his eye.

Fairly high above the motorboat, a figure wearing black jeans, a black tee shirt and a dark-blue cap was rising into the air.

Before the descent began, this figure clasped both hands together and pulled them to his right side.

A half-second passed…and a blue burst of energy shot forth diagonally.

A few eyes on both sides of the gap watched in awe as the _hadouken_ flew, gracefully and fiercely at the same time…until hitting its no-longer-rolling target on the ground.

The result of this impact produced another explosion, and the result of this explosion scattered many of the cyborgs nearby.

"Now, now, now!" yelled a ranking soldier, seeking to take advantage of the diversion.

Again shots were fired.

After his legs touched down on the boat again—rocking it a little—the man now wearing a proud smile gave a thumbs-up to the two armed soldiers at the front of the vehicle.

Though still in a bit of awe, they managed to return the gesture.

Seconds afterward, his eyes looked towards one side of the gap, searching for another pair. After succeeding, he formed a peace sign with his right hand.

During a momentary breather, Captain Guile waved back, then returned to work.

"Little favor for ya," said the smirking man on the boat, "courtesy of Ken Ma--_whoa_!" He dropped down taking cover suddenly.

Getting into position, the soldiers with Ken began firing back.

* * *

_Ken was on the phone._

_"…Yeah. …Oh yeah?" he said with a laugh. "Ha. Well I'm not surprised to hear that."_

_"Mm hmm. …All right and now I'm going to let you talk to a certain little someone," said Eliza. "…Nah I just want the tugging on my pants to stop so…" she smiled, "…here he is."_

_"Yeah let me speak to him," said her husband._

_A few seconds later, a new voice came on the line. "Hi, Dad."_

_"Hey, bud. How's it going in your class?"_

_"I want to tell you a story."_

_"A story you're doing for your class?" Ken stroked his thin beard a little._

_"Yes. But it's not finished yet okay?"_

_"Okay. That's fine."_

_"Mommy said maybe you can help me with it." _

_"Oh yeah? You know, maybe mommy's right."_

_"Are you ready?"_

_"Let me have it."_

_"…Are you ready?"_

_"Yeah, yeah I'm ready."_

_"All of these fish were having a race…and…"_

_"How many fish?" Ken smiled._

_"…Um, six."_

_"Oh. …That's how old you'll be soon."_

_"Yeah!"_

_"Yeah!" Ken smiled a little wider._

_"Um…they were having a race. And…"_

_"Masters!" said a voice in the same building as Ken._

_Ken looked up, putting his hand over the phone._

_"Time to go," the man continued. "We've got a serious situation and we'll need an on-site supplier."_

_"…" Ken sighed._

* * *

With both hands clutching the weapon by her waist, Chun-Li was carefully making her way around the large files of crates and boxes that made up the large warehouse.

She stopped at a corner, lifting her arms so that the gun was pointing upwards not too far from her face.

She had heard the motorboat—not the same one that had helped in the fight—stop nearly a minute ago.

"…" Chun-Li peeked around the corner…then quickly moved forward again.

Then she heard a large door—the back door—sliding suddenly; sliding slowly. Then she began seeing light—the motorboat's headlights—creeping in from the distance.

Chun-Li's right leg tensed, and she moved backwards just before she could turn that last corner. She resumed her previous stance.

…Then she saw shadows. Shadows of two men—holding two guns. Two automatics.

Her grip tightened. Her eyes closed. Her heart beat a little faster.

"…" Chun-Li opened her eyes. Her knees bent a bit. Her waist followed. She prepared to give a warning. She prepared to shoot. She prepared to return to her cover. She prepared for things to go wrong. She--

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS _NOW_!!! NOW!"

Two automatics lifted towards her.

Suddenly one of the men threw a hand on his partner's arms. "Li?! Li, is that you?!"

"…" Chun-Li lowered her gun and sighed. "Oh…oh crap," she said catching her breath.

"…_Girl_…" said one, lifting his shaking left hand a bit, "don't scare us like that."

She smiled, "What are you doing back here? I heard your boat and thought you were a pickup."

"We're the second arrival. G requested backup on his way over here."

"_He's _here now?" she asked.

"…A pickup?" said the other man.

"Yeah," she continued. "I thought someone was in--"

Without warning, a figure fell from the top of the crates stacked _behind_ Chun-Li.

Her eyes widened and she froze.

Her companions lifted their weapons once again in shock.

The figure quickly grabbed Chun-Li's gun, pressing it against the side of her head while wrapping his other arm around her neck.

Chun-Li's expression was unchanged.

The figure spoke to the two men, "See that water outside behind you? I want your weapons in it within the next 10 seconds. Guess what happens if you don't comply?"

Chun-Li's eyes were wider than ever.

The two soldiers exchanged glances. "Let her go…" said one.

The figure nodded, "4, 3, 2…"

The agents turned and slung their weapons. Seconds later a couple of splashes were heard just outside their boat.

The men turned back around.

"Thank you," said the one holding their comrade.

"…No!" Chun-Li shouted.

Two shots were fired from her gun.

Two men dropped.

Chun-Li's gaze followed them to the floor.

Chun-Li's gun rose to her head…again.

"Now then," said the man called Vega, speaking rather coldly, "…one last little bit of business."

* * *

_A woman was moaning…again and again rather loudly. Almost so loudly that the man she was with almost didn't hear the phone ring._

_Slowly, Vega's hand reached for it._

_The woman's hand came over his, bringing it back._

_…The phone rang again._

_"…" Vega quickly reached and picked it up. "What?"_

_The woman closed her eyes and began panting._

_"…" Vega's eyes widened, then narrowed. "…All right. …Yeah, I'll be there…just incase they do hit tonight. …I'm hoping she'll be there too."_

_The woman's eyes opened slowly._

_"All right," Vega hung up. His chin was slapped suddenly._

_"Who's 'she'?" asked the girl._

_"Didn't I tell you not to ask about my phone calls?"_

_"…" A slow and angry frown came over her face. "I'm the one who never turns from you, over the years since your scarring. And you still--"_

_Vega used both hands and pushed her aside. He sat on the edge of the bed, slowly pulling open one of the drawers under the phone._

_Moments later, he was looking at his reflection in three shiny metal claws…soon letting his imagination run wild._

* * *

"First…" said Vega, loosening his grip around her neck a bit, "I want you to _see_." He spoke with a little more anger now, reaching for his mask. "I want you to see _why _you're going--"

With a nervous sound Chun-Li quickly lowered her head and reached for Vega's wrist.

The gun pointed towards the ceiling as four arms struggled over it. Vega's claws gleamed in the light shinning in.

BLAM!

One more shot went off, going straight up. More followed.

With a grunt, Chun-Li drove a knee into Vega's waist.

Vega reeled, but didn't let go.

Chun-Li got the advantage and didn't waist any time. The gun tilted towards Vega and the trigger was pulled.

A 'click' arrived. The weapon was empty.

Chun-Li hesitated.

Vega grinned…then let go and swung a backhand at the nervous expression before him—using that famous weapon of his own.

Chun-Li ducked. Still holding his other wrist, she swung around and pulled.

Vega was flipped to the floor with the gun. Almost instantly, he used a backward somersault and launched both legs into Chun-Li's torso.

Chun-Li fell down against a wall of crates.

Vega sprung up and turned, soon reaching down to slam and pin her head back with his free hand, then draw his claw backwards once more.

Chun-Li felt a bit woozy as she saw the weapon preparing to connect.

Due to the mask he wore, Vega didn't notice the movement on his right until it was too late.

A graceful, _powerful _sidekick slammed into Vega, throwing him down a few feet from his target.

While her body remained still, Chun-Li's eyes fell to the side…and saw Ryu, standing with fists by his waist in the shinning moonlight.

* * *

_Ryu was on the phone._

_"When will my dad be back?" asked a young voice._

_"I'm…I'm not really sure about when. But he will. He will, and if it's past your bedtime then I promise I'll tell him for you."_

_"Yeah would you?"_

_"I will. So there were 'six fish having a race,' right?"_

_"Right. There were really seven, but just six of them were racing."_

_"And why is that?" Ryu became distracted._

_"Before the seventh went away…"_

_Ryu barely heard the words on the other end. "…Hey." He stood up. "Hey. Where are you guys going? You going to that—hold on…" he told the little boy, covering the phone with one hand. "Are you going where Ken had to go?" he asked whispering._

_"Yeah," said one of the men whom Vega would later shoot. "The captain's requested backup."_

_Ryu still whispered. "Did something happen? Shh. …You see I've got his son on the line here."_

_"The boat with Masters shouldn't even have gotten there yet," replied the other. "It's Chun-Li the captain sounded worried about for some reason."_

_"…" Ryu lowered the receiver a bit._

_"Look we've gotta roll. Ryu, you should just go back home instead of waiting around for him. There's no telling how long this will take." They began leaving quickly. "We'll have Ken call you after it's over!"_

_"…Hold on!" said Ryu._

_"Can't!"_

_"Hey, Mel?" he said into the receiver. "Let me talk to you later. I'm sorry… Tell your mom I said hello." He hung up a few seconds after that. "Hold on," he said, running after the men through the office. "Let me go with you. I can help the way Ken helps, all right?" He tightened the shoes he was wearing._

* * *

A now recovered Vega swung a kick around the floor at his opponent's ankles.

Ryu jumped with little effort, avoiding it.

As he was turning around again, Vega swung his claw forward in an unexpected attack.

With little time, Ryu's wrist met Vega's in a block.

A fist punched into Vega's midsection afterwards, stunning him a bit.

Vega retaliated by swinging an angry kick towards Ryu's chin.

Ryu, with fists clenched before his torso, stepped back a bit for protection.

Then Ryu stepped in again quickly, grabbing the back of Vega's neck and driving his right knee into Vega's ribs.

Vega bent in painful reaction.

Chun-Li was crawling for her gun while holding the other clip she had just pulled out. She noticed that the sounds outside seemed to have stopped.

Ryu drove his knee upward again.

Vega blocked, soon using the same arm to raise his claw in a violent swing.

Anticipating this, Ryu caught the attack, clutched Vega's arm, used his other to get a firmer grasp on his opponent, then fell backwards.

Vega's eyes widened a moment…and he soon found himself thrown towards the water near the open door after a thrust from Ryu's leg. He landed with an uncomfortable thud, rolling with it a bit.

On the floor, Chun-Li managed to insert the clip into her weapon.

Ryu began walking towards Vega.

Suddenly, fright came over her face again.

A few feet behind Ryu stood a criminal from the outside skirmish—aiming right at him with a confused look.

Quickly, Chun-Li succeeded where Vega had failed earlier, clutching Ryu's ankles in both legs and twisting.

With a surprised expression, Ryu fell to his knees.

A shot passed over him.

Another shot came—this one hitting the criminal who had just fired at Ryu.

Chun-Li pointed and fired again.

The man fell, losing his gun in the process.

With arms barely raised, Ryu turned, realizing what had happened.

The sound of a motorboat began again.

Chun-Li pulled some of her hair away and looked towards the outside.

Vega wasn't where he had been. Instead, he was using the vehicle Ryu had abandoned to attempt an escape.

Just then, Guile arrived with weapon in hand, followed by Ken and a group of others who had made their way through the warehouse.

The first thing the captain noticed was the slow recovery of the men Vega had shot, who had been saved by their armor.

"Make sure they're all right," he said to a few members of the team.

Ken recognized someone who was already doing this. "Ryu?"

His friend looked up a moment, noticing how wet Ken was for some reason.

Chun-Li was still sitting and catching her breath when Guile came over to her.

"You okay?" he asked, helping her up.

"Yeah. It…it was Vega. He's getting away!"

"Where is he?" asked the captain, not really sounding surprised.

"He was here! The boat. …He took it."

Guile readied his weapon and jogged outside.

…Chun-Li followed shortly afterwards, standing by him and staring at the barren distance.

"Our other one was damaged before the fight ended," said Guile. "We can't chase him."

Dripping, Ken arrived and stood with them. Soon, several of the soldiers in black and green did as well.

"…" Guile's eyebrow's lowered. "Not yet, anyway."

A silent moon hung over a silent crowd.


	5. Forecast

**Forecast**

At the moment, most TVs in Japan were broadcasting the news. At the moment, most TV _owners _in Japan were getting ready for work—which meant only about half of them actually _saw _the image of the man being described.

The others just listened, hearing something about a fugitive, a tattoo, blonde hair, and claws.

As the cautionary part of the description began, those who _were _looking at the screen saw a metal mask in the center—and the name Vega underneath.

Afterwards, it was time to cut to a commercial. Before that happened, a weatherman gave a preview of his report, mentioning a storm coming throughout the evening.

* * *

**6:13pm**

Except for two people approaching each other, the large hallway was empty.

"Where ya going?" asked Chun-Li.

Guile was holding a large envelope. "…Swingin' by Ryu's place. He got a summons."

"A…for him?"

"Yeah. Where are _you _goin'?"

"I'm…off."

"Little soon isn't it?"

"Guess who got up early to get that info on Vega delivered to all three channels before they began airing?"

"Really?" he frowned a bit.

"Guess."

"I didn't know."

"Yeah, well…I'll be here on time tomorrow if I go now."

"Captain," called an officer from not too far away. "We may have a lead."

"I'll be right there."

The man nodded and walked off.

Guile sighed, "Now I gotta try and give someone directions to get to that dojo."

"What? Oh. Oh yeah, the summons."

"The place is so secluded it's hard to describe how you actually reach it from that road leading out there."

"…You're not just gonna send Ken?"

"He's at the hotel. Done for the day," said Guile as he began walking. "You get a good night's sleep, kid. See you in the morning."

"…Yeah," she said flatly.

He looked back before stopping.

"…"

"You okay?"

"…" She nodded.

"…" Guile walked back towards her, "I asked if you're okay."

"And I answered you," she said looking off.

"No you didn't. …What's going on? What is it with _this _lately?"

"Look why don't you leave that with me and just take care of this new business?" she took the envelope.

"I gotta have that delivered to him today."

"I'll see that it is," she stepped away.

"I thought you were tired, kid--"

"I'm capable of giving someone the directions for you," she grinned a second. "Stop worrying. Stop callin' me kid. …Kids grow up, Guile."

Turning, the captain's eyes glanced through the window up at the gray sky. A memory came to him; a memory of Charlie. "…Yeah," he said, still looking away from her. "Yeah I suppose they do."

"…"

"And there are things us grownups go through."

Her fingertips touched the window on the opposite side of the hall. "…You wouldn't be trying to tell me something, now would you?"

The captain's throat cleared, effortlessly.

"…"

"Chun-Li…_is there_…it's just, is there anything I should know about?"

"…"

"Anything regarding you or certain other members of our team here?"

Chun-Li's wrist was rubbing just below her nose…the nose just below her serious eyes. "No…" she managed simply, not sounding like she meant it.

"Yes well…" Guile did a halfway turn, "maybe I should rephrase that. What I should ask is if there's anything you _wanted _to talk about."

"…"

"Regarding maybe just…"

Chun-Li's arm lowered and she began to move.

Guile's head turned.

Chun-Li was headed for the doorway.

"…It's him, isn't it?"

"I'll catch up with you later," she tossed her hand upward in a wave without looking back.

She exited.

Guile stood where he was, watching the doorway for a while. He eventually turned, eyes moving outside again, watching trees sway suddenly and—from where he was—silently in the distance. "Yes…there's always a later isn't there, kid?" he said in his mind. "…Aren't we _both _supposed to know better by now?"

* * *

She reached her hotel room about half an hour ago. A blue shirt, boots, wristbands, and other articles of clothing were all lying on the floor.

She's wearing a long white shirt and shorts for her eveningwear, and pulling her knees a little closer to her chest while relaxing on a sofa. She's holding a cup of tea in one hand…and a picture of her father in the other. She's glancing at the balcony, noticing that it still hasn't gotten dark out.

But soon it will…and then it'll be…

"Too late," murmured Chun-Li to herself. "No…" she said again softly, looking at the picture. "Not too late for us, Dad. It's rather, a matter of too soon."

Slowly, Chun-Li's legs stretched out along the sofa.

"That's how you left me…too soon."

A few drops of water began to fall outside. Just a few.

"…You never saw me buy my first car; you never saw me win my first award."

The fan overhead twirled slowly, spreading a gentle breeze throughout the room.

"You never saw me perfect that old recipe…you'll never give me away at my wedding."

She stood, walking to the balcony with both items. The picture hung by her waist and the cup not too far below her chin.

"Even after Bison's downfall, I eventually realized I felt no satisfaction. I had to face it. Eventually. Something was wrong. It was because…it was because _I _wasn't involved in the final stages. Because of this, I still hated him. It was only after I _stopped _hating him that I could find anything resembling peace. Not exactly _satisfaction_, but peace. I know you'd _want _me to have that by now."

She paused.

"…I'm not even sure what satisfaction is anymore. I'm confused. Confused…about what kind exactly it is that I want. And just exactly where I should start looking when I've made up my mind. I…I…" She spoke softly, looking down a little. "…No."

* * *

He climbed.

Pain began making its presence felt throughout certain muscles in his body.

He fought it. Fighting was all he ever did. The strength. The motivation. The memories. He could certainly remember scaling better pieces of rock than this. That fueled his motivation, and that motivation fueled his strength.

He noticed that the drops on his head and hands had stopped. Looked like it wasn't going to rain after all.

Good. Or not. Now he could think clearly again, about this person. What about her?

…What about her?

He had known her for years…but never really _known _her. Why was he suddenly wanting to now? Just a little, at least. He couldn't help it. He _was _human. And he was feeling something. That much he knew for sure. But what? What was he feeling? When he _knew _what he wanted a long time ago—and he wanted to fight—he had _told _himself that matters such as this—_feelings_—would have to be suppressed. But realistically, how much longer could he keep doing it? Maybe the question wasn't a matter of _could_, but _should_. What should he be doing with his life at this point? Now? He was reminded of something his mother had once said on a Christmas, a long time ago.

…He was also reminded he'd be spending another Christmas alone, while he watched the rest of the world celebrate, pretending he was immune to it all. Pretending he didn't feel anything. And maybe he was right. In the past. Then.

But not right now. Yes. He _was _feeling something. But what was it?

…Reluctantly, Ryu began examining the situation.

So, what was Chun-Li?

A soldier. A warrior. …A _fighter_.

Ryu reached upward with a calm look of determination.

What was Chun-Li?

Strong. Smart. Brave.

Ryu pulled himself up, feeling a sweat breaking.

What was Chun-Li?

…Chinese. Brown-haired. …Attractive.

Ryu slipped.

His grip tightened suddenly and he paused, breathing in and out.

He opened his eyes slowly. "…"

He climbed.

Pain began making its presence felt throughout certain muscles in his body.

* * *

The light was off. The fan wasn't moving. Her hotel room was quiet.

* * *

After a while, Ryu finally reached the top. It took a moment for him to look towards the large dojo in the distance.

"…"

Ryu froze.

What was Chun-Li? At the moment, he certainly did know _where_, at least.

She was standing sideways in front of a car—before turning to notice him.

* * *

The light was on. The fan was moving. _His _hotel room was loud.

But strong as the noise was, it couldn't quite drown out the sound the phone made when it rang.

The blonde-haired man turned the TV down and put an annoyed look up.

CLICK "Yeah?" said Ken.

Elsewhere, a few short locks of brown hair swayed with the wind. "Hey, Mr. U.S.A."

"…Uh oh," Ken smiled, "this, is this who I think it is?"

"Probably. I try to make my voice sound all sophisticated when I'm being serious but…doesn't really work." One of her hands reached out and touched the railing of her balcony.

Ken quickly bent at the waist with a giggle then popped back up, "Yeah that's how I figured it was you. Hey," he began sitting, "how'd you get this number?"

"Ryu hooked me up a little while back. Sorry I didn't call sooner, but I've been busy with the school and all." Her right leg lifted and crossed over her lap.

"_Oh_, yeah, that's right," said Ken. "You teach now."

"Mmm hm. Hey have you heard from him? I've been tryin' to reach him but he's not answering." She looked down at the distant city.

"Probably outside training."

"…How's it going with your 'job' here?"

"Oh come on, can't we talk about other things?"

"All right. How's your family?"

"They're good, thanks."

"…I'm glad to hear it. Look I got some papers to grade but I just wanted to say hi for now, and know if you're going to be able to make it. You know, for--"

"Of course," said Ken. "I'll be there. I already told Guile about the date."

"Okay then. …Look I'm gonna hit you back tomorrow, okay?"

"Anytime. Call me anytime," he smiled.

"All right. …Love."

"Love."

They hung up.

"…" She stared out at the gray sky. For some reason, the sun was still shining where Sakura sat.

A few floors below and across from Ken's room, another woman stood on an _indoor _balcony, peering down at the distant marble floor, constant movement, and large fountain at the center of the grand hotel.

Suddenly she turns at the sound of a buzzing and a door opening far behind her.

Almost as soon, the door shuts. "Get your clothes off," says Vega.

She enters the room again and pulls the drapes to the balcony closed. "My, my, aren't we in a good mood."

Vega quickly approaches, grabs her arms, and begins a kiss full of passion. Seconds later, he breaks it and pulls her bundled up hair down. "…I been…dodging those dogs all day," he says, undoing her robe.

"Mm, poor baby. I tell you your _mind _would be at ease if you…_talked _to me about it," she pulls his shirt over his head.

"…Shut up, girl," says Vega quietly, tossing her robe aside, and kicking off his shoes.

"Mr. 'Don't ask about my phone calls,' " she undoes his belt and unzips his pants. "You'll feel better without all that stress."

"I already…know how to work off stress," he says, pulling her nightgown from her shoulders and letting it drop to the carpet. "…Let me show you what I mean."

She kneels, pulling his pants and underpants down with her.

Vega steps out of them and pulls her upward, kissing her once more as they embrace. He scoops her up into his arms and carries her over to the bed.

Crawling above her, Vega looks straight into her eyes. "This…" he says, kissing again, "…is how you eliminate stress." He begins burying his lips into her neck.

"Mm," she says, closing her eyes a moment, "…or not."

Suddenly there's a loud crash at the door.

Vega pulls up in surprise as the woman pulls out from under him and brings a sheet along with her.

"Down! Get down!" yells one of many soldiers storming the room.

With his hands in the opposite direction, Vega does just that.

Seconds later, he finds himself standing back up, his wrists bound behind his back in handcuffs with a man on each arm.

"Vega, Vega, Vega…" says Captain Guile as he appears in the room.

Vega looks over at the woman, who's still covering herself.

"Oh don't worry, baby," she lifts an eyebrow as a bit of hair falls over her shoulder, "I'm sure 'she,' will help you with that stress thing from now on."

"Heh," Vega is shaking his head while looking downward. "Hey can I get some clothes here, Guile?!"

"Well, I've got some people who'd like to meet you first."

Two men step forward.

"You recognize Brooks and Khackie, don't you?" asks the captain. "They're the two guys you shot back by the docks."

They stare at Vega in silence.

"Oh nice to meet ya. I'm, I'm real intimidated."

"Nah, don't worry," says Guile. "They're not here to do you any harm. In fact, they want to help bring you a little happiness."

"Oh and how's that?"

"See we've got to get you to our car to take you in. So along the way…they're gonna make your dream come true. I filled them in on what it is."

The two stepped up to Vega.

"They're gonna help you show everyone just how 'beautiful' you are."

Brooks took one of Vega's arms in his and Khackie wrapped one around Vega's ankles.

"Hey…" said the surprised fighter.

They lifted and held him horizontally.

"Hey!"

A few of the others held the door for them.

"Hey, hey, hey! Hey!"

Guile chuckled.

Throughout the large and busy lobby downstairs, the angry yells of one embarrassed man caught the attention of a lot of people as the group of soldiers "escorted" him outside.

"…You da man, G," said a smiling Ken Masters, peeking out from his balcony.

…He _kept_ smiling.

* * *

Chun-Li's refection could be seen in one of many trophies.

She heard a click far behind her.

Emerging from a small cloud of steam was a gi-clad Ryu. "Sorry about the wait," he called. "I…just exercised and I wasn't expecting company." He flicked his wrist backwards. The towel landed by his previous outfit in the bathroom.

She turned around, "Don't worry about it." She smiled, "I--"

The sound of a kettle was heard suddenly.

Ryu paused. "…Hang on a moment," he said with his traditionally serious gaze toward the kitchen.

Chun-Li walked past her boots and took a few steps up to the main floor. Moments later, she stood in the center of the large square interior alone, her fists clenched for some reason as she turned in place, eyeing the wooden upper level comprised of a balcony and railing that stretched _all around_; the wide stairway at the back that led to it; the many windows that lined it, and the openings to the small rooms that sat so far across from each other up there, both with sliding doors.

In the far _corners_ on the left and right of the stairway's bottom were, of course, doorways to the kitchen and the bathroom respectively.

She figured _this_, was the living room.

Soon enough, they were sitting at a wide table that wasn't too far above the floor.

"Am I in trouble?" Ryu asked calmly while looking off to the side.

Chun-Li slowly slid the envelope across the table. She lowered the cup from her mouth and looked away. "They're just going to question you about your involvement in the incident back there. Then they're going to warn you not to get involved again. …Khackie and Brooks shouldn't have brought you along."

Ryu said nothing.

"I know you did it because you were worried about Ken…but if you don't want to end up where he is now—or worse—I'd suggest you just take this warning seriously."

Ryu sipped some tea.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you."

"Hmm?" he lowered the cup.

"…Thank you."

"For what?"

"You know…" she felt a bit embarrassed, "back there with Vega."

"Oh. …You're welcome."

"I figured giving you this advice was the least I could do."

"I appreciate it."

"…Gonna follow it?"

He was looking off again. "…Maybe."

"Come on, why push things like this?"

"…It's sort of my way," he replied. "I ask myself that question sometimes, too."

"…You're talking about tournaments?"

He nodded.

"Is that what you do? You just stay here between tournaments…using your winnings and whatever grows around here to get by?"

Ryu nodded again.

"This place was the grand prize in one of them I take it. One of the bigger ones."

"Yes," he said, looking around a moment.

"…That's nice," she said as her eyes wandered. "I know those monetary winnings are pretty nice too sometimes."

Ryu's eyes closed for a few seconds, "…That's not really what drives me."

Chun-Li faced him again.

"…"

"What do you mean?"

"It has to do with what you asked. It's about taking what I have and meeting a challenge.

"It's about taking what I have and _conquering _a challenge."

"…"

"It's about _knowing _afterwards that I overcame it. It's about what's always pushed me forward when it comes to fighting.

"…It's about the love."

Her eyebrows rose a moment while she looked off.

"…What about you?"

She turned forward again, opening her mouth a bit.

His eyebrows lowered a little, "What got you into your profession?"

"I…my father was murdered."

Ryu's expression changed.

"Ever since…I've searched.

"Trained.

"_Learned_."

"…"

"I've led high-profile busts…I've kicked perps senseless.

"…I've followed orders, I've fired weapons. …All because I want to see those who would commit a crime held accountable."

Ryu kept staring.

"…And it's not just that I _want _to see it—you see…I have this thing where I go to courtroom hearings and watch…"

He listened closely.

"I guess it's that I _like_ to see it."

Ryu shifted a little where he sat.

Her eyes were looking away again. "So I guess _that's _what's always pushed me forward when it comes to fighting.

"…For me it's been about the hate."

Both of Ryu's hands were gently on his cup.

Chun-Li's were a bit tighter around hers.

"Yes well…" he cleared his throat "…maybe what you need to do someday is pick out something you love…and try enjoying it to the fullest."

She was still looking downward to the side.

"That might help with where you say you are in life."

Chun-Li's serious eyes blinked.

"If that's what you want, that is."

"…" Slowly, a calm grin came over her face. She chuckled. "I'm not sure what I should tell you. …'Find something to hate'?"

He didn't say anything.

"Never really a good idea."

"Hm," he looked off again as well.

She let go of the cup and stood up. "It was nice talking to you."

* * *

At this point Vega's wearing gray and nothing but gray.

The room he's sitting in agrees with him.

Someone opens the door, and someone else takes a few steps in.

The door shuts.

Just like Vega, this other man's hands are very close to one another. They've been that way for several hours, and are going to stay that way for several more.

Finally, the man who's been having a bad day lifts his gaze from the table.

"Been a while," says Balrog in reply.

Vega looks to the left. He sees his reflection. "Yeah it has."

Balrog just watched him.

"Please…sit. If that's what you're waiting for," Vega leans back and eyes Balrog again.

"Well that'd be a little too friendly, wouldn't it? Considering we're supposed to be enemies now."

Vega looked off slowly.

"It's true, isn't it? You're tied to the operations in England."

"They send you in here to figure that out?"

"No," said Balrog calmly. "It's just…a little while ago, Guile mentioned weapons being smuggled there via that game they make here…and I _recognized _that method. That _used to be _a Shadowlaw tactic."

"Hm," said Vega.

"It was abandoned a few years ago…around the same time you went missing. …Around the same time I overheard an argument between…the two of _them_."

"Hm," said Vega again. He calmly looked towards the ceiling.

"The boss…Bison…he wanted him to head to New York to find Cammy…and you…for assassination—the price of failure."

Vega's calm eyes blinked as they looked upward.

Balrog looked down to the side, "But _he _wanted something different. …He wanted a personal revenge."

"…"

"Bison told him the world was now his arena, rather than the street. He pleaded. …Bison said a few words to put him in his place."

"…"

"…I should've been able to tell right then…by the expression on his face that he had just about had it with the boss's lack of respect. All that stuff about Shadowlaw not forgiving mistakes." Balrog looked over at Vega again. "I don't know if he made one _himself _after that, or if it was Bison's attitude that pushed him over the edge…but for some reason, I never saw or heard from him again."

Vega was staring.

"Even after Bison fell in the fight later on…

"Even after I _walked _when the charges didn't stick…and returned to the organization."

"That's _why _you never heard from him after that," said Vega.

"What?"

"Because you returned to the organization…_Bison's _organization."

"…"

"It's because he knew where your loyalty was, Balrog. Everyone did."

"…"

"And that meant he…_we_ couldn't trust you," said Vega.

"Right, see I've just started figuring it out. Instead of killing you when he found you…he must have helped you…before forming an alliance with you. And together you two planned on standing against Shadowlaw."

"Not alone, obviously."

"No, obviously not. _Obviously _not. So…so, so _that's _where all the ones who left the organization—who left us during the turmoil since the boss's incident have gone. They sided with you…"

Vega stayed quiet.

"They sided with _him_."

"Nearly half of Shadowlaw is on our side."

"But _your _numbers have been decreasing too lately, haven't they?"

Vega frowned a bit in anger.

"What with the hits in England and all," said Balrog.

Vega closed his eyes. He placed his elbows on the table, lifted his hands, and brought the tips of his fingers together.

"What…did I say something to upset you?" Balrog asked like he didn't really care.

Vega was still and silent for a long moment.

Balrog was watching.

"…When he found me in New York…I was beaten. Bruised. …Bleeding."

"…"

"He saved my life," Vega spoke to his hands.

"…"

"Now…I'm going to repay the favor." He slowly turned, looking at his distant reflection again for a little while.

A confused Balrog turned, seeing himself as well.

Vega turned back, propped his forehead on his fingertips…and closed his eyes again. "Sagat will be in England. Soon," he had spoken up. "I'm not just saying this. I can tell you where and when exactly. Let me talk to someone."

Just on the other side of the wall, Captain Guile paused…then stopped leaning his arm against the glass and walked off. "Let's get Balrog out of there. I got some of what I was hoping for. Take B back to his cell. V talks to me."

Thunder brewed outside.

* * *

83 minutes later a number was being dialed. There will be very little time between the last button being pressed on one end, and the phone ringing on the other.

"So anyway…" said Ken, "I told her I'd be there. She sounds like she's doing pretty well."

"Doesn't she?" Ryu smiled. "Teaching is something--"

"Hold on, I've got another call. Hold on." Ken pressed something. "Hello?"

"Ken. Have you heard from Chun-Li?" Guile was speaking.

"She's with Ryu. I've got him on the other line." Ken pressed something else.

"Hello?" said a calm masculine voice.

"We've got some company," replied Ken.

"Ryu? It's Guile."

"What is this a three-way?"

"Yep," Ken grinned. "Cool, huh?"

The captain continued, "Ryu, let me speak to Li."

"…All right I'll wake her up."

"Whoa, hold on. She's asleep?"

"She decided to wait out that storm here, and she ended up taking a nap."

"Yeah that's right, she worked so hard all night on…never mind. She'll be told the situation when she gets back to work."

"What situation?" asked Ken.

"Listen to me, Ken, I'm going to be away for a little while."

"What's that sound?"

"I'm on a small plane. I'm taking a team and heading to England."

"England?"

Ryu was impressed, "You're actually on a plane right this moment, as you speak to us?"

"That's right. Actually it should be passing near _your _area soon. You might be able to spot it." Guile got back on subject. "Listen, Ken, I wanted to tell you you're still required to report in when requested. While I'm out you answer to Sawada."

"Yeah but what about--"

"You can still have that day off you mentioned. I've seen to that."

"All right, thank you."

Ryu was quiet.

Ken continued, "But what's the current situation? You gonna be all right?"

Guile hesitated. "It seems Shadowlaw split into two opposing factions. And it apparently began shortly after you two took down Bison a few years ago."

Ken and Ryu were silent for a moment.

"Balrog was on one side, trying to accomplish something _here_. The other faction is primarily based in England, run by Vega…and Sagat."

Ryu was particularly silent.

Ken spoke up, "Yeah but you got Vega, right? I was…sort of watching."

Guile paused. "Anyway, he's given us a lead on Sagat's whereabouts. I'm going to try and capture him now."

"Yeah and he's the last one, right?" asked Ken. "Once that's done I'll get to go home early, won't I?"

"…We'll see. Look I've got--"

"I've got _another _call," said Ken. "Can't do a four-way."

"I've got to go," said Guile. "Ryu…"

"Don't worry…she'll be fine," he replied.

Guile continued, "Look she hasn't quite been herself lately. She's not as cheerful. And I think something might be bothering her so…"

"She's a strong woman," said Ken.

"Yeah, I know she is," replied the captain.

"Everybody knows that," Ken continued. "Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll be okay. There's the ring again. I gotta go. Ryu, I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay."

"Guile, be careful out there."

"Don't worry. Guys, take care—and watch your backs."

"All right."

"Right. …Bye," said Ryu.

Three clicks followed.

At the moment, most TVs in Japan were broadcasting the news. At the moment, a weatherman was speaking on one network.

"Had a few surprises toward the end of the day, folks, but _tomorrow_…we can expect more of what we're used to.

"It'll begin with a few storm clouds gathering…" 

Not too far from the country, a plane carrying similarly garbed women with similar sounding voices was advancing steadily on its way.

_"…followed by a bit of that oh-so scary thunder…"_

In buildings all across the world, the eerie forms of advanced Monitor Cyborgs kneeled in a dormant state, their eyes just waiting to light up.

_"…accompanied, of course, by some forceful rain…"_

Balrog was sitting in a cell leaning his back against a wall…thinking about the past.

Vega was sitting in another…concerned about the future.

_"…But as my little daughter likes to say, 'Swift winds will arrive to blow it away…' "_

Aboard his plane, Captain Guile was resting both arms on those of his seat. Behind him sat a slew of soldiers with equally determined gazes.

In a hotel, Ken Masters sat on his bed, glancing upward a moment while talking to his family.

_" '…while the opposite forces create a sky of _gray_…' "_

Ryu glanced to his left. Silently, Chun-Li breathed in and out while resting on a cot with closed eyes and a slightly open mouth.

_" '…before it fades to reveal a new sunshiny day.' "_

At home, Sakura happened to be finishing up the last page…knowing of course, there'd be more to come.__

"…" Ryu turned off the little TV and began walking towards the stairway.

Upstairs, he reached the room above the entrance to his home, slowly pushing open the wooden shutters that were unique to the window in there…except for the ones in the room way across from it.

His fists rested by his sides as a breeze picked up the straps of his famous signature.

Quietly, he looked forward.

And indeed, after a minute…he _could_ see what looked like a fairly small aircraft passing in the distance.

Moments later it was gone.

Ryu's calm yet serious eyes kept watching the sky. Finally, he said, "Take care, Guile." He closed the shutters and held onto them a few seconds. "…I wish you good luck."

Ryu turned around, standing in his previous pose for a moment.


	6. Fog Rising

**Fog Rising**

**--England**

What's currently in progress is referred to as a highly sensitive operation.

It's so sensitive that the federal officers sitting in the underground parking lot don't _look _like federal officers. It's so sensitive that instead of a physical gathering beforehand, everyone summoned received individual notice through the _mail_. It's so sensitive that only one of the officers who's pulled in and parked down there actually _knows_ whom he'll be working with. That's the commanding officer—Captain Guile. Today he's got the authority to make arrests in England and he plans to use it.

When he and his team had arrived a few days ago, seeking MI6's assistance after informing them of the situation—a rare opportunity to capture the fugitive Sagat would possibly present itself today at a certain time and place—he, in turn, was informed of what could pose a problem: there was now concern that the sniper gunning down anyone connected to Shadowlaw—who they mentioned had failed in the most recent attempt and was almost captured afterwards—could be one of their own. As a result, spreading word throughout their ranks of where and when Sagat would appear could easily result in his joining the list of victims. Though there was no love lost between them and Sagat, they couldn't do anything to intentionally aid in what might lead to this, especially since having him captured would be beneficial towards bringing down his faction of Shadowlaw.

Therefore, it was eventually decided that this unusual method—which involved a folder with details on the capture—would be used to inform 12 agents deemed trustworthy. Their attendance was of course, mandatory. So, one by one they arrived—Guile not being the first—in as normal a fashion as everyone else who parked down there.

Except after _they _parked…they waited. They didn't get out of their cars. They didn't try to find each other. They simply waited. Still. Silent. It was necessary. They had a little while before it would be time to move, and they couldn't risk drawing any real attention.

Guile looked at his watch…again. In about a minute, the moment would finally arrive.

…He turned on the walkie-talkie, held down a button, and spoke into it. "This is Captain Guile. Everyone awake?"

A few chuckles came, accompanied by several responses.

All throughout the silent lot, the team members were each clinging to a communication device.

"All right," Guile continued, "I know this is an unusual rally, but as you know, an issue has arisen lately that your superiors are hoping to avoid further. Now unfortunately, they suspected that handling _this _situation traditionally might do just that. …Sorry about the wait, but I'm sure you understand any chit chat or personal contact down here before now might've cast some suspicion on us. Anyway, thanks for coming. I'm told each of you are not only among the most trustworthy agents but some of the best as well. I'm sure most of you will recognize each other once we all step out of these vehicles. Everyone's gonna get a chance to stretch in just a minute. First I want each of you to respond by saying 'present' when I call your name."

Naturally, everyone prepared.

He began. "…Burke."

"Present."

"Hopkins."

"Present."

"Daniels."

"Present."

"Emerson."

There was no response.

"…_Emerson_."

Still no response.

"…Turner."

"Present."

"Ivens."

"Present."

After someone replied to each of the remaining names, Guile told everyone to grab their weapons and step out of their vehicles.

The sounds of doors opening filled the lot…followed by the sounds of them _closing_. As the men gathered, several comments were exchanged about the unusually casual outfits they currently found each other in.

He was sporting his normal outfit and spoke up as he approached, "I'm Captain Guile. I'm sure you each saw my picture in the folder that was sent to you. Does anyone here know Emerson?"

A few of them told him they did.

"Does anyone know where he is?"

No one could give the same reply.

Guile was quiet. "…Oh no." Quickly, he pulled out a cell phone.

Moments later, a woman at an MI6 desk answered.

"Yeah this is Captain Guile. The operation is not yet underway. We have not yet surrounded the park. We've encountered a problem."

"What is your problem, sir?"

"I'm short one operative; Agent Emerson did not show up. Repeat: Emerson is a no-show. I now have reason to believe him a suspect in the sniper matter. Does anyone there know where Emerson is?"

"Hold on please, sir, we'll try reaching him at home."

"Holding."

* * *

**--Japan**

"Apples…flour…baking powder."

Chun-Li's got the day off, but she's still going to be doing a lot of work.

She's working very hard to gather a few ingredients and place them in a bowl. She's working very hard to stir the bowl's contents. She's working very hard to concentrate on what she's doing. Because if she doesn't, she'll have to think about…

"Apples…flour…baking powder."

* * *

**--England**

The agents left the parking lot about a minute ago.

Every man Guile had summoned was now outside and running to a position. All but one that is.

"Captain Guile, I have Emerson on the line. He says he knew nothing of the operation today."

"Put him through please." Guile looked to the side a moment, attempting to hold the phone to his head while crossing the street at the same time.

It was the type of daylight that was a bit more dark than bright. A shade of _blue_ covered everything.

"Hello? Captain Guile?"

"Emerson. Did you receive a file in the mail?" he asked accusingly.

"Yes I did, sir, but--"

"What are you doin' home? Do you have any idea how important this is?"

"Sir, the file I have here says nothing of an operation involving Sagat."

"Excuse me?" Guile's eyebrows lowered as he stepped up on the sidewalk.

"The file I have here--"

"Never mind, I heard you. _Colors_ are supposed to be used to help avoid just this kind of situation. Is the file you have there red?"

"No, sir. This is a blue one."

"Forget that. Is it numbered 1406?" Guile passed a few people, eyeing the large park in the distance.

"No, sir. …This is file 1731."

"…What in…Emerson, are you _sure _those are the numbers?"

"Yes, sir. 1731."

"I'm gonna have to get back to you." Guile pressed a button. "MI6, this is…Captain Guile. Emerson claims he's got the wrong file."

"Yes I know he does, sir--"

"He's got a file with info on satellite ST2-250; the one they put into orbit last year."

"What does that have to do with the operation today?"

"_Nothing_. That's the point here. I _know_ I had 12 red files prepared. Emerson somehow, someway ended up with a blue one. …I need to know what happened to the file intended for him."

"…Is he still a suspect here, sir?"

"No, no! _Listen to me_. His being at home probably rules him out. But I need you to find out what happened to the 12th red file. I need to know whether it was actually mailed or if the blue one was accidentally sent instead. I need to know if this was an error or not, and I need to know now."

"I'll contact the mailroom and have them pull up records."

"Thank you."

"Hold on."

"…Holding on." With the phone still to his ear, Guile's gaze swung upwards and he turned in place.

* * *

**--Japan**

The great central room of Ryu's dojo was quiet…until the sound of a door swinging open began an interlude.

Chun-Li stepped out of the kitchen and looked up as she walked.

Sitting in the center of the wide stairway, wearing his usual attire, was Ryu.

"They're in the oven now," she said with a grin.

"…Okay," was all he managed.

"Those apples you picked were some really good ones."

"I think so too," he nodded. "At least I hope so."

Chun-Li stared for a moment. "I left this book I brought with me in the car," she said shaking her head. "…I'm gonna go get it."

"All right," Ryu's eyebrows rose a bit.

She turned and headed towards the distant door.

Slowly, Ryu looked up again. "So who taught you to make these apple muffins?" he called.

"My dad."

"Oh."

Moments later the door was unlocked and hung open behind her as she exited.

Ryu remained still, looking at one of the rugs. It wasn't too long before he heard the door close and lock again. He looked up, concentrating on what was in her right hand while watching her approach in the distance. She had come over dressed in casual attire consisting of a long tee shirt, shorts, and the sandals sitting by the entrance.

"Well," said Chun-Li as she neared the steps again. "I just…guess I'll wait right here. Probably be easier to hear the timer that way."

"Oh. I--"

"I mean if you wanted to do anything, feel free. I'll be right here when they're ready."

"Well I trained earlier so, I'll just sit and wait here, too."

"Yeah," she nodded.

Ryu rubbed his wrist a little while glancing at it.

She sat not too far from the stairs, with her back against the long wall that led to the kitchen in the corner.

As her eyes skimmed the first few words, she began _working _again.

But not too long afterwards…she began slacking off. A slight smile came over her face. Her eyes glanced sideways for just a second, then returned to the book. Her mouth didn't move at all but she let out a very quick, very quiet chuckle.

Ryu just couldn't stop playing with the apple peeler. He was supposed to have put it up a while ago—shortly after she had arrived actually. But he was reluctant to let it go. It seemed to serve as some sort of defense at the moment. But if he was on guard against something then there must surely be some sort of challenge before him. And facing challenges was what he was supposed to do best at this point. He couldn't quite clarify it, but whatever the current one was, it was probably a challenge he'd have to accept. No. It wasn't that he _had _to, it was…

"…"

This was one of those rare moments he was going to indulge himself. After staring at his hand for what seemed like a very long time…Ryu suddenly looked up. He watched Chun-Li—and he was watching everything.

Her long hair—moving just a bit whenever she did the same.

Her smile—calm and somewhat confident as she read.

Her nose—petite and innocent-looking.

Her eyes—not catching him just yet.

Her hands—a certain delicateness about them.

Her chest—sort of drawing extra…attention…yet flowing so subtly with each breath.

Her legs—highlighted by powerful-looking thighs—one resting over the other and revealing a small vein.

Her feet—probably cuter than his could ever be; wriggling her toes now and then as though she had every right.

What was Chun-Li? Ryu finally got the answer.

…A _woman_.

* * *

**--England**

A voice spoke through the walkie-talkie on the captain's waist. "Guile, we've got a positive ID on the girl. She's in the park."

"What's she doing?"

"She's sitting down. Looks like she's just waiting for him."

"All right. I've got a support team in the area listening in. They're the guys I came here with, so--"

"Captain?" the voice referring to him _that _way interrupted.

"Yeah go ahead," he spoke into the phone.

"The mailroom has confirmed that all 12 files 1406 were sent out."

"All 12 of the red files _were _mailed?"

"That's correct. Emerson's included."

"Then if the info about today was sent to him but he ended up receiving a _different _file instead…"

"Then what happened to the file he was _supposed _to receive?"

Guile pressed a button and spoke into a device, "Everyone listen up! The sniper is on site. Repeat: the sniper is on site."

Everyone with a walkie-talkie paused a moment.

"Captain Guile?" the MI6 woman spoke a bit louder into the phone. "Captain Guile. How did this--"

He was running. "Don't you get it? There's only one explanation now. This confirms what you all were afraid of. Only one of your own could know what was in that file, and only the sniper would want the information. …I need you to make another call for me."

"Guile!" said a voice over the walkie-talkie. "The car is approaching the park."

"Oh great. Everybody hold your position! Everybody but Brooks, Smith, Khackie, West, and Knox," he spoke of the Americans who had accompanied him to England. "I want the first three heading to the one across the street. Get cleared with security and inspect the roof. I want the others at the parking lot now. Head to the top of the building. Repeat: top of the building." That was exactly where Guile was heading, and where he believed the sniper was.

The limo pulled to a stop, not far from the park.

Guile ran faster in the opposite direction, almost as though he knew somehow.

A car door opens. Seconds later a strong hand full of tape marks reaches out and graces the top of it. Almost simultaneously, a black boot touches down below the fog running across the ground. A large figure cloaked by a massive black trench coat rises, not yet turning as the breeze gently pushes on his garment.

Of course, the unseen ones who happen to be watching him—and there are many eyes on him at the moment—don't _need _him to turn around. There can be no mistake of who this is.

"…Guile? He's here," says that voice again.

With a flick of his wrist, the car's door is shut, and slowly…the giant turns.

"Sagat has arrived."

A mean look is in Guile's eyes.

He sees the building again now and plans on doing two things: instructing the team to wait and drawing his weapon in a minute. Before he can do the former, however, that _other _voice arrives again.

"All right, captain I'm dialing."

"Good." He pulls the walkie-talkie to his mouth once more. "Do not arrest him yet. We want them both. If you take him now she'll see and get herself lost in the crowd. Wait till they're together."

"Copy that. Sagat has entered the park."

Indeed. The imposing figure was leaving quite the impression on many people as he stepped towards the appointed destination.

When he arrived the woman waiting for him slowly stood.

She had medium-length black hair, a rather cold expression, and a Thai accent. "You're sure there's no way our conversation will be traced here?"

Sagat came to a halt and looked up a bit. "…So that's the first thing you have to say to me."

"You told me this would be about business."

"It's been a little while hasn't it? And that's the first thing you have to say to me."

"You taught me to _always _worry about that first."

"I came out here—primarily out of concern for you…and that's the first thing you have to say to me."

"All right," she said hastily. "I apologize."

Sagat stood in silence.

The steady, repetitive sound of Guile's footsteps could now be heard in the otherwise quiet underground parking lot. With weapon in one hand and phone in the other, his eyes never left the stairs as he neared them. Of course, he was going to use that flight to go straight to the top, skipping all doors leading into the building.

He knew the building far across the street was actually more ideal for a sniper—due to a large party that would make for the perfect camouflage after the shot had been fired. But he also knew that the amount of security there would also make things more _problematic _for a sniper. So he was going to search this one first.

A cold, clicking sound preceded a crosshair sweeping through the park and nearing its target.

Guile kept running up the stairs.

From different directions, the MI6 agents were now advancing through the park.

"After we discuss business we're both going to leave," said Sagat.

"…You want to _move _me now?" she replied.

"Why else would I come back out here in person? I only want to ensure that that happens."

"Now's not a good time," she brushed through her hair. "Our people here are weaker than ever with so few weapons coming in."

"Weapons do not decide one's strength."

"But they do decide an organization's," she retorted quickly as though not in the mood to go where he was taking the conversation.

Guile was nearing the top.

"…Hold on please, captain," said the voice on the phone. "Still ringing."

The agents were nearing the pair in the park.

The woman with Sagat continued, "You probably know already…when that senator inadvertently jeopardized our incoming supply…we tried using his daughter as leverage."

"And that failed," Sagat cut in. "And now our people here are in even greater danger—that's why you're leaving."

A crosshair _stopped_…

Guile turned a corner…and saw a door propped open in the distance.

"Guile, we're moving on them now."

"Copy that," he said while running alongside a railing. "Get 'em out of the park. Repeat: get 'em out of the park now." The walkie-talkie dropped from his hand.

The casually clad park agents sped up, not drawing their weapons just yet for fear of causing a panic.

A scope was adjusted.

"MI6!" Guile spoke with a hint of desperation. "What's the status on that phone call?"

"Still ringing."

Guile broke a sweat.

"We're not in as much danger here as before," said the young woman in the park.

Someone was staring straight at this woman's head…

She looked up at Sagat again. "Not too long ago we determined who the sniper was."

The sniper paused…then touched the trigger.

"Who?" asked Sagat.

A quietly panting and quietly panicked Guile arrived on the roof, stopped…then swung his gaze around…until seeing what he was afraid of.

The agents were only a few yards away.

The young woman continued, "It's--"

Just as the trigger was being squeezed, a white bird of some sort flew past the scope…and a surprised sniper's aim was a little off.

The rifle recoiled.

"UNH!" The woman targeted was hit in the _back_.

The man she had been talking to jerked in horror.

The agents in the park drew their weapons in surprise.

The civilians in the park shouted and ran.

The phone Guile had been holding dropped with a "clack."

The grip tightened and the sniper quickly rotated in one smooth defensive motion.

The weapon in Guile's hands rose in reaction.

"…"

"…"

And the woman on the phone spoke: "Captain? Captain, I'm sorry I can't seem to get through to her," said the voice that was audible to both people on the roof. "Cammy's not answering."

"…" Guile wasn't surprised…because despite how much he had _hoped _she wouldn't be…Cammy was standing right before him.

"…"

He spoke in a firm yet sensitive tone. "The rifle…put it down."

Almost _frighteningly_, Cammy's eyes were wider and edgier than ever. The weapon pointing at Guile shook right along with them.

"Cammy…it's all over now. Now everything's coming together."

"…"

"I know you've been the one gunning down those Shadowlaw agents."

"…"

"I know you were the one who replaced the file in Ethan Emerson's mailbox…so you could find out where and when Sagat would show."

Cammy's eyes calmed a little. Her hands didn't.

"And I even know _why _you've done all this," Guile's eyebrows rose a bit as a somewhat sympathetic look came over his face.

Cammy's eyes shook again, looking as though they were going to get wetter.

* * *

_"Hey, Grandma!"_

_A calm smile came over the woman's face. "Hey, little dove."_

_A hatless Cammy was being led out of the Interpol building in handcuffs, flanked by several officers. "How long you been waitin' out here?"_

_"Just since your hearing ended."_

_"Oh. Oh that," Cammy let out an unusual giggle with gritted teeth._

_Her grandmother was quiet as it happened._

_"Don't worry they're…just gonna send me someplace where I can get better."_

_"I know. …I heard," she replied softly._

_The group escorting Cammy neared the car._

_"I mean, I didn't mean to hurt that Mr. Sellers. …You believe me right, Grandma?"_

_She nodded quietly._

_"Don't you believe me?"_

_She nodded again, "Yes."_

_"…All right well…heh, it looks like I gotta go now."_

_Cammy's grandmother began speaking to the others, "Can I give her a hug first?"_

_Tears formed in Cammy's eyes._

_The men surrounding her parted._

_"You can cry if you need to," the grandmother smiled. "I know that deep down," she spoke in a teary whisper, "…you're a fighter."_

_Just as the older woman was leaning in…a bullet arrived, striking her in the back._

_Cammy's eyes widened…and she paused—standing in a trance-like state._

_The officers all around her pulled their weapons and fired upwards in response._

_BLAM! _

_BLAM! _

_BLAM! _

_BLAM!_

_BLAM!_

_Cammy remained the same through it all…until her eyes moved upwards—and she recognized the man escaping._

* * *

"It was Sagat," said Guile. "I know the story."

"…"

"He was sent by Bison after you were captured…but instead of getting you, he accidentally hit your grandmother. …She didn't make it."

Cammy's grip tightened as Guile said this.

"Shortly after that a good deal of Bison's empire fell…and instead of going back, Sagat decided to start anew. _Here_. But what he didn't expect was for you to return to MI6. What he didn't expect was for you to retaliate."

"…"

"That's what you've been doing isn't it, Cammy? Retaliating."

"…"

"Against Sagat."

"…"

"Against Bison. Against anyone in Shadowlaw who makes themselves noticeable enough."

"…"

"Especially the girl down there. You—at first you wanted Sagat to be your hit number 12…but when you found out _she'd _also be here…that presented a rather fitting opportunity, didn't it?"

The young woman bleeding in the park was Sagat's daughter.

"That's why I asked MI6 to check up on _you _just now once I had evidence that someone on our side was the sniper."

"Cam?!" said a voice familiar to her behind Guile, who flinched.

Ethan had arrived and accompanied Guile's team on their way up.

"Stay back!" she warned, getting nervous again.

Several more guns rose towards her.

"Do not fire!" Guile commanded.

Cammy was very close to the ledge.

"Cam?" said a stunned, frowning Agent Emerson. "It was you all along?"

"…What are you doing down here, Ethan?" she replied with a jittery voice. "I went to some trouble to make sure you'd stay out of this."

"…_You _switched the file that was sent to me?"

She scoffed, "Oh so they let you know about it and you came running to duty. Good little superhero."

"Cammy," said Guile—now sensitively yet firmly. "The rifle…put it down."

All of the other weapons on the roof were still pointing at Cammy. All except for that of the raincoat-clad Ethan, who looked on nervously, extending a hand a bit as though it might do some good.

Cammy's eyes were locked on Guile…and his were locked on her.

Both their weapons were shaking now, as though neither wanted to shoot the other.

And finally, one decided not to.

Slowly, Cammy dropped to her knees and placed the weapon on her right. She stayed that way, not looking at Guile, not looking at Ethan, not looking at the others, not looking at the rifle…not really looking at anything at the moment.

"…Just stay here a minute," said Guile to the others as he carefully stepped over to her…kneeling down and securing her weapon. Afterwards, Guile's eyes slowly rose to Cammy again.

She was staring downward now. "…" Tears began forming.

The crowd behind them began to part as they advanced.

"Wait a minute…" said Ethan with suspicion as a thought came to him.

"You can cry if you need to," Guile managed to grin a little while speaking softly. "I know that deep down…you're strong. Because you're a--"

Cammy's eyes suddenly widened. "No!" Almost instantly she grabbed a surprised Guile in both arms and leaned to the side.

Almost as soon, but not quite…a bullet arrived out of nowhere.

"THERE!" yelled Ethan.

Quickly, several guns around him rose towards where he was pointing and began to fire.

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

Within seconds, a distant sniper—the same one who had attempted to shoot Cammy before—was hit by the retaliation.

Everyone on the roof was stunned silent.

"…Who was that?" asked one of Guile's men.

Ethan caught his breath. "Must be the same one who took a shot at Cam before. Now, now I get it. Shadowlaw's people here must have _found out_…that _she _was the one hitting them and…hired _that one_ to find her and…"

"I'm gonna radio West and Knox to pick him up over there," said another.

"Yeah…" Ethan turned, looking back.

Cammy was still clinging to Guile protectively…still shaking.

"…" Guile was quiet.

"What took him so long?" Cammy asked with her eyes closed in the hug.

"…The…the security over there. …It must have delayed him from getting to position."

"Mm," Cammy said casually and quickly.

"He…" Guile let out another deep breath. "He probably suspected _you'd _be over there."

Cammy released her embrace on Guile and held his arms, staring a moment. A slow smile came over her face. "I…I did it…this time."

Guile's eyebrows flinched, "What…?"

"I did it," she said, giving him another hug. "I saved you." A memory of her grandmother being carried away on a stretcher arrived.

"…Yeah. Yeah you probably did, Cammy. Thank you. Tha--"

She quickly faced him again with the same smile. "And I saved that little girl, Marcy. …I _saved _the little girl."

Sagat's daughter was being carried away on a stretcher. She was still alive.

"And…and I paid Sagat back," Cammy continued. "I don't have to hate him anymore because I got him back now. And he, he can't get me back because he's going to jail. _See_?"

With hands cuffed behind his back and several weapons pointed at him, Sagat was being carefully led out of the park, a smaller man on both his sides.

"And…and Bison," Cammy whispered. "Oh…I've got quite a history with him."

A quiet Guile glanced at the sky a moment.

"But he can't hurt me anymore, either. Those two…fighters, they…" The smile slowly returned. "He won't hurt me anymore, either."

Guile looked back at Cammy. A new sensitivity of some sort was present in his eyes now.

"It's…oh my…today's the day," said Cammy.

Everyone else on the roof was quiet.

She continued, "It's all behind me now."

Guile listened carefully.

"After deciding so early in life to commit to this kind of business…then being _forced _onto the other side of it. …After the people I've lost…after all the pain I've felt…after all the sadness and all the brainwashing and all the violence and all the confusion and all the hatred…and all the _years _of never really having my own identity—my own _life_…not a _purpose_, not a goal…just a life…today I have that."

"…"

"Because now I've put all that behind me."

"…"

"Because now I'm free from it all."

"…"

"…Because now I'm free." Cammy smiled and looked to the sky.

Everyone else was still silent.

"…Yeah, Cammy," said Guile quietly. "…Now you're free."

She kept smiling at the clouds.

Slowly, Guile stood…not looking at her. "Cammy White, you are under arrest for the murders…"

She kept smiling upwards.

Guile began reciting the names.

The group present listened carefully and quietly.

"Chenny…."

There was no change in her.

"…Rico…"

A few of the men tossed their gazes upwards as well.

"…McCloud…"

Ethan's eyes were fixed on the kneeling agent who wasn't returning his stare.

"…Eight other people believed to be at the times of their deaths, associates or direct operatives of the syndicate known as Shadowlaw…" Guile looked down at her, hating what he was doing and saying, "…and the attempted murder of Nia Teng."

Cammy's expression remained the same.

Perched not too far from the group was a white dove—a young woman in a beret directly in its line of sight.


	7. The Legacy Club

**The Legacy Club**

**--Japan**

**_…A Long Time Ago_**

You could almost call it a cabin. You could almost call it a building. They were sitting in a very small wooden structure that consisted of one room and one room only. The window was tiny and barely allowed any daylight in. The walls were bland and forming a perfect square. The ceiling wasn't all that far from the floor and had a few cracks that barely helped with the daylight issue.

The door was closed and not supposed to be opened just yet on either side. You could almost call it a jail.

Neither of the young men sitting on opposite sides in there had ever seen it before, and neither of them ever wanted to see it again.

It had rained earlier. Every now and then a little water would fall from the ceiling, adding to a puddle on the floor. Otherwise, the room—if you'd call it that—was silent.

They had barely even looked at each other since "meeting" and finding their way up here. Each had his back to a wall.

The brown-haired one was staring at the floor.

The blonde-haired one was staring at the puddle. The sound began reminding him of a faucet…way back home. The thought of home began reminding him of several other things. Those several other things began reminding him of how he felt at the moment…and he felt rather sad. He felt rather anxious. And most of all, since his arrival in this country, he felt rather lonely. "…"

So he decided to try doing something about it. _Again_, that is. While staring at it, he unzipped a small section of his backpack and produced a smaller notepad, followed by a pen.

The brown-haired young man watched as his companion began writing. This naturally led to embarrassment on the other side of the room.

About a minute later the blonde one looked up, stood up, then hesitantly stepped over towards the other guy. He courteously reached down and extended the pad with an expression of uncertainty. It was accepted with a somewhat confused one, but soon enough those confused eyes were scanning the words on the paper:

'Kangei.

Don't know much Japanese yet. You understand ENGLISH words?'

The young man waiting for the answer looked a bit humble.

After a pause, the other one extended his hand, soon receiving a pen.

A few seconds later a response was written:

'Name?'

The blonde-haired one nodded quickly, soon taking his turn:

'Ken'

…That was what the young man with brown hair was reading…before looking up to notice a hand gesture that was clearly inviting him to provide his own.

'Ryu'

…That was what the young man with blonde hair was reading…before looking up to notice a hand gesture that was clearly inviting him to sit—on that side of the room.

Ken nodded, "Thank you," he said, forgetting the situation for a second.

"Welcome," was the reply.

Ken paused…then grinned and giggled a bit as he sat.

Ryu smiled as well but threw his gaze down to the side, seemingly not in the mood.

"So…" Ken began…then stopped.

'So, why are _you _in here?'

Ryu paused for a moment, looking forward…then decided to give an honest answer.

'Lack of discipline. You?'

Ken read the reply…then decided to give his own.

'Lack of discipline.'

The two young strangers glanced at each other and started to chuckle together.

* * *

**--Japan**The Present 

The day had finally come.

The very large dojo was also very quiet. But there was a _reason _for that today.

Rays of sunlight stretched beyond the Earth's atmosphere, beyondmany distant mountains, beyond several perfectly aligned windows, and beyond the open spaces of a balcony railing. From there they reached down to illuminate about half of the floor below, apparently casting special attention on two close companions—a man and his bag.

It was almost as though the warmth was there to comfort him. That felt like a particularly kind gesture at the moment.

"…I wish this day would stop coming every year," Ryu thought to himself.

A shadow of a man and a shadow of a bag were highly visible on the floor. The bag was all ready to go. The _man_…was a few minutes behind it. A few minutes became several minutes. Several minutes became many.

He had an excuse for all this procrastination: it wasn't exactly time to leave yet anyway. He also had a counter for it—like everything else. He had planned on being early. He wanted to be the first to arrive. That almost seemed like the way it should be.

"…"

Of course, he didn't have to go at all. _This _was the day he wished could somehow stop coming every year…as it was getting sadder every time. Wait. He needed to stop moping and start thinking clearly. It wasn't getting sadder…but it wasn't getting _easier_,either. He once thought _that _was what was _supposed _to happen.

Maybe _later_,perhaps?

The shadow of a man shifted a bit, depicting a very familiar pose. A slow smile dragged across Ryu's face, and his gaze lowered. The smile was gone.

Seriously, he thought about just taking off everything that complemented his gi—the belt and headband—and just making a few phone calls, going upstairs, putting on some quiet music, pulling out a blanket, and retreating into the comforts of his home. He knew he wasn't _going to_,though—that'd be horribly out of character—but it was nice just thinking about it.

"…"

No. Maybe any other year. Maybe last year. Maybe next year.

Not this year. This, like a certain other something that was supposed to occur recently, had a rather significant number attached. Seemed like monumental occurrences were emerging left and right. For a moment, he thought briefly about the first personal one he could remember.

"…"

It wasn't long before he didn't want to think about that anymore. Ryu bent, picked up his bag, stood up straight, looked toward the door…and continued on his path; the path with a few special detours—such as the one he was heading for now—but no end in sight.

Suddenly _hearing _came into play.

Ryu's head turned and he slowed down. Maybe it had to do with…maybe something had happened.

He began walking towards the phone.

It rang again before he could say "Hello?"

"Hey. Ryu."

"…Hi." Suddenly his bag was touching the floor. Suddenly Ryu was glancing down and picking it up again, wondering why he had just done that.

"I'm, I'm glad I caught you before you went out," said Chun-Li.

"Something come up?"

"No, uh…I'm on a break, so…"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Look I'm not sure where you're going or why…but I hope you have a good day."

"Thank you. I hope you do too."

"Yeah." She smiled for a second or two, "Things have been a little eventful lately, huh?"

"…I suppose so," he said quietly. "I heard about what happened in England."

"Hm," Chun-Li frowned a little.

"…There's something I wanted to give you," he said, eyeing an object across the room.

"Hm?"

"But…"

"…"

Ryu dropped his bag and lowered his eyebrows a moment, "Are you coming over for tea today?"

"Sure. _Sure_. What, uh, what time do you get back?"

"But, it's scheduled to rain again later. The same thing as before could happen."

"…So? Is…that going to be a problem today or something?"

"No, not at all," said Ryu calmly. "…Um, I'd better get going. Maybe you could just stop by at around…"

"I should be finished today in…a few hours, maybe."

"I should be back by then."

"Okay."

"Then if you still want to and you make it here before the storm, we'll have tea."

"Good," Chun-Li smiled. "You said you had indoor hammocks, right?"

"Uh, just one. I've only got one. And…yes I did set it up."

"Just one hammock?"

"…Just one," Ryu replied.

"Oh. Well then, why don't I let you go now?"

"Okay. Listen I'll talk to you later."

"All right. Bye," she said.

"Hey…"

"Hm?"

"Take…take care, okay? I mean please be safe out there."

"I will. You too. …Bye."

"All right."

Two clicks followed.

Ryu tightened his headband and looked down at the bag.

Pretty soon he picked it up…and after a few seconds he made his way to the door and opened it.

"…" Ryu flinched a little, then paused where he stood.

There was a teddy bear in a tiny blue shirt out there, staring at his legs.

Someone's boots appeared beside it. Ryu's gaze rose, soon focusing for a moment on a hand that was waving at him.

"Ryu…"

His mouth was open just a little.

"Um, hi."

"Hey," he replied.

She put the waving hand behind her back and smiled at him confidently…yet shyly as well.

"…" He finally chuckled. "Hi."

"Got a minute?" asked Chun-Li. "You want to…you know?"

He nodded, trying to make the smile go away.

They moved over by the front steps and stood, facing forward.

A brief breeze played with her hair. "Ryu…I think this is about love."

He flinched a little but tried not to show it.

"Your appointment," she continued, "…it has something to do with _fighting_,right? It's about what you love in life, isn't it?"

"Yes."

She kept looking forward with him.

"I mean…" he was speaking very deeply and quietly now, "that's not to say…I…"

She didn't turn to him.

"…"

"What?" asked Chun-Li.

"…Before…before you came over I was actually thinking of this one other…"

"…"

"…This one other love _story_ I know," he spoke softly.

"Really?"

"…"

"…Oh. You mean…it's about Ken and his wife, right?"

His eyebrows rose a second, "Well yeah…yeah I guess that makes for _two _other stories I know about."

Her eyes narrowed, "What's the other one?"

"I, um…" He was looking off now.

"…You can tell me if you want."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"How about you tell me one, and I'll tell you one?" she asked with uplifted eyebrows, her gaze still forward.

Ryu's mouth was closed and cuddling up towards the left side of his face. He was looking at the ground and wondering why he had somehow felt compelled to raise this issue now. His expression changed, he glanced at the only tree in sight, and spoke towards the more distant cliff in the same deep voice as before: "There was…a young man—a lonely, confused…nervous young man."

"…"

"On the previous day he had chosen one of two paths. On the next day he was going to have to follow it. …So on the current day he had some time to think…and eventually his thoughts led him to the beginning of the path _not _taken.

"The path not taken was college. It was…it was a very attractive university. So he just had to see it one more time. He watched several students…and the _bags _they always carried…move from place to place. They all seemed so _used _to it. They all knew how to get around, they all had someone to talk to, they all used the restaurants, bus stops, and pay phones like it had become…an everyday thing for them.

"So, the young man no one really seemed to notice…he was envious of them—all over again. It was just like the _first _time he had visited…and that reminded him of something.

"He found his way to a place that was special for him there—the very seat he had sat in for lunch back on that first day. He didn't really know _why _it had any sentimental value…it was just one of those little things that does without any reason.

"He sat for a while. He almost left but decided to order something—for 'old times' sake. The room was pretty quiet. Naturally, so was he. …_Naturally_.

"Then something happened.

"He was fighting to stay awake so it was all kind of odd for a moment—at first the sound of a tray touching the table…then the hazy sight of a shirt, a white one. Then, just as he looked up a bit more his vision cleared…and he saw her face.

"She was…she was _pretty_. For a little while that's all that matters at first. She was charming too. Everything about her seemed charming—from the way she licked her lips after the introduction…to the way her hair would cover her face whenever she'd look down and go quiet…to the way she pulled both of his hands with both of hers when they got up.

"A bit later he mentioned how the color she had on was his favorite. Rather than saying the same, she just said that she liked it too. For some reason, that struck him as a more attractive response. He began to smile while looking at her. She'd tease him about that.

"She'd also talk about the school, answering every question of his she could. She ended up telling him that, like just about everything that seems appealing in life, there were drawbacks involved—downs as well as ups. …He actually felt a little better about his decision afterwards.

"Pretty soon they were scaling a rather large hill. He was impressed with how easily she seemed to be making it up. While they were resting at the top she turned to him for a moment and smiled. He noticed, but was too shy to look back. She touched his chin and turned his face towards hers. Her hand was soft and her eyes were cute and it was…such an _unfamiliar_ feeling for him that he just wasn't sure what to do. He only knew he sort of liked what was happening at the moment.

"She let him go and challenged him to a race down the other side of the hill. They ran and laughed and…she let him win.

"Suddenly an unusual kind of frown came over his face as he turned back to her, knowing she had held back. She slowed down as she was approaching him…seemingly a little disturbed by the look.

"About a second or two later he snapped out of it and realized what the expression on her face meant. He looked down, closing his eyes and shaking his head…then began walking up to her with another smile. Slowly, she returned it. He felt so guilty that he asked if he could give her a hug—he had actually wanted to for a little while.

"She felt rather delicate as he touched her; she felt rather nice. Afterwards he realized why she had been so good at getting over that hill. She explained that she was staying in one of the dorms across the little road in front of them, and asked him to come meet her roommate.

"Her roommate had gone out. She asked if he wanted to keep her company for a little while. He said yes. She went to get a board game that she and her roommate always played. When she got back he noticed a difference. Seeing her with her hair up…it just did something to him. Somehow the _change _seemed to say that, sure enough, she was a real person—with or without him.

"While she was focusing on setting up the board, she quietly mentioned she was aware he was staring at her again. He chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed. After the game—which she won—she prepared dinner. He had offered to go earlier but she didn't want him to. At some point during the meal he accidentally dropped some food on his shirt. She quickly came over with a paper towel, even though he told her he could handle it himself. While she was wiping off his shirt he slowly began to focus on the top of hers—which was a little open and partly exposing the top of her chest. She paused suddenly…and told him he was staring at her again. He began to apologize over and over…until he felt her fist clenching his shirt with that little paper towel—all in a gentle grip. She looked up at him. His heart was beating a bit faster as he looked down at her. She moved upwards and… …they kissed.

"He had never done that before. Very shortly, however, he began enjoying it a lot. When they stopped and faced each other…a slow smile came across her face. Eventually he began smiling too.

"… …A little after that they…got up and left the table. It became quite a night of firsts for him.

"And speaking of _night_, hours later when he woke up, he noticed it had gotten quite late. Too late for him to catch a bus back into town. While he was staring out the window he felt two arms wrap around his waist. Then he felt her palms reaching up to stroke his chest. Naturally, she let him stay there for the night—and she spent most of it being held by the newest person in the world who had come to love her. At least that was what he thought at the moment.

"He declined breakfast. He had gotten up later than he had wanted to. Still, before leaving he exchanged phone numbers with her, gave her another kiss…_didn't _say what he felt like saying, and ran outside on his way. The bus took a while to arrive, a fact that helped change his mood rather quickly. When it did show up and he did get on, it seemed to be moving a bit slower than usual—probably because of the rain.

"Because of his choices the night before he…ended up being late for his appointment. It felt horrible. Unfortunately, that wasn't punishment enough. …He ended up having to spend a good deal of what remained of the day in a very small place. It was there he made friends with someone—a foreigner who had also shown up late.

"But nice as that was, he still wanted to catch up with the other new person in his life. The next day he got a call from her. She wanted him to come over a little later…right before a period when he was scheduled to train. The young man felt very, very tense suddenly. He wanted both but he could only have one. Ultimately, he chose her—planning to just endure the punishment one more time later.

"He knocked on her door, feeling quite excited about seeing her again as he waited. She answered, pulling him in quickly—with both hands. He was mentioning how the door was still open when she interrupted by kissing him. He returned it slowly, remembering how. As they broke contact he tried asking how she was doing. She answered quickly then kissed him again. After that one he tried telling her about the martial arts training he had begun, looking for sympathy as he began mentioning how he was late the day before and…she interrupted with another kiss. After that, he paused, trying to decide whether or not to tell her how much she had come to mean to him in such a short time; about how he didn't think it was possible, and about how he had never been with a girl in the past. Before he could, though, she was moving towards him again. That was when her boyfriend arrived at the door.

"The confused young man stared…then heard words exchanged between the two of them—first calm, then heated.

"After the boyfriend left…the girl walked over to the counter and poured herself a drink. She sipped, seemingly ignoring the young man's presence. Eventually he asked what was going on. She asked if he wanted to play that board game again.

"At that moment he realized what had happened—why she had approached him, why she had accompanied him, why she had invited him there the other day…and why she had invited him that day, at that time. She was _angry_—at her boyfriend. She wanted to hurt him. It was as simple as that. For the young man it had been the beginning of love. For the girl it was…all about hate.

"Slowly, he walked out of the room. She was still holding the cup while looking away the whole time. For a moment, it almost seemed like she…

They never saw each other again."

"…"

A light breeze swept by.

Slowly…Chun-Li knelt on the porch, still looking forward. "What became of the young man afterwards?"

"…Went back to the training grounds…where his master was waiting. …The look on his master's face was…the young man almost _wished _it had been one of _anger_ when he saw it."

"…"

"…From that day forth, he became a very focused, very dedicated, and very determined person."

"…"

"Even if someone were to _joke_ with him about being anything less, he'd take offense," Ryu frowned a little.

"…"

"But after a while…it all really began to mean something to him—the training…and the people he knew during it."

Chun-Li quietly tapped the wood beneath her interlocked fingers. "…Do you think that young man ever learned to trust again—beyond that? Even with people he could sense some hate in?"

"…"Slowly, Ryu knelt as well, eyes still forward. "I'd imagine almost everyone has a little disdain in them for something," he said calmly.

A quiet little teddy bear was a few feet behind them, facing the opposite direction.

Another breeze picked up the hair around Chun-Li's face for a moment. She looked up a little. "That's nice, you know?" she said looking forward. "The way you can see that thing from up here. Quite a view." She was referring to a large outdoor video screen that sat above the distant streets beyond the cliff.

"Oh…yeah," said Ryu, clearing his throat. "Sometimes in the morning I just, walk over there and sit, watching the news. Can't usually _hear _anything, but…at night it's sort of like a drive-in. I actually went to one of those once or twice back th--" he paused. "I…"

"Me too."

He glanced at her.

"When I was younger."

"…"

"That was…" she chuckled, with little trace of amusement, looking at the ground, "that once led to a little story _I _know of…sort of like yours."

Ryu brought the tips of his fingers together.

"Anyway…" said Chun-Li. "Why don't I just finish that later." Her eyebrows rose a little as she smiled, still looking away.

Both stood.

"See you later?"

Ryu nodded, waving as he walked off in the other direction.

Soon Chun-Li was driving back down the long slope that led up there.

* * *

"Like I said, I bugged 'em over and over to be sure I'd have this day off. …Hey, you know what _the_ three most important days of my life were?" asked Ken in the backseat of a taxi. He was speaking into a cell phone.

Far away, Eliza brought her arm over a table and leaned forward, "What are those?" She was speaking with a touch of attitude.

"The day I met you; the day Mel was born, and…even though I didn't know it at the time…the day I first came to this country, and arrived at the dojo."

"…" Eliza couldn't help it—she smiled.

"Heh, I nearly screwed that last one up."

"You nearly screwed that _first _one up."

Ken and Eliza began laughing.

"Remember?" she stopped herself.

"Of course. Besides, if the time ever comes when I don't…"

"I'll remind you."

"…Hm," Ken grinned, looking out at the dimly lit corridors of the tunnel.

"I guess a day like this will bring back things like that," she said.

"…Yeah."

"…I don't recall you ever mentioning that before. I mean, I'm sorry if you _did_…" She was looking upwards and tapping her head a little.

"I only told you how I got here the first time."

"Your dad, right?"

Ken was quiet.

"I know the tale. He didn't think you were disciplined enough so he used his money to send you _there_, for a martial arts program. Why didn't he just send you to a course up the street or something?" she giggled.

"…Part of my…problems…had to do with my ego."

"_Ah_," she said knowingly.

"You know you don't have to say it so knowingly."

She giggled again. "Well it's never _quite _gone away now has it?"

Ken chuckled, "A lot of that came from this…crew I used to hang with."

"This, 'crew.' This _gang_?"

"…This gang. So, anyway, he--"

"How many times do we have to go through it? You don't have to try hiding stuff from me when we talk about things like this."

"…So, anyway, he didn't want me around them."

"…"

"Or around anything I was familiar with. He didn't want me to just be able to come _home _afterwards whenever it was done for the day. He didn't want me to be comfortable."

She kept listening.

"So," Ken leaned back, "naturally when I arrived here I was a bit nervous…then angry…then lonely. The first thing I wanted to do was _defy _my father somehow. Even though he had placed so much distance between us."

Eliza looked over towards a little boy's room. Seconds later…she quietly turned back to the table.

"Instead of just going where I was supposed to go, I wandered around; met this guy on the street who spoke English pretty well. I thought I'd found a friend. I fell in with him and his crew. I got all happy and excited about that. …Then…"

"Then what, Ken?"

"Then I figured out that what we were about to do next was illegal. And I realized exactly who'd be the perfect fall guy incase something went wrong."

Eliza closed her eyes.

"I snuck off—it's not too hard to do in the rain—and found my way where I was supposed to be…eventually."

Eliza opened them again.

"During the trip there—and I was in a taxi just like this, on the same route I'm taking now…" Ken eyed the bag beside him.

"…"

"During that trip I had some time to think…fear will do that to you…and my feelings began to _change _a little."

She was quiet.

"I remember, before I came here that first time…while I was protesting with my dad, I asked him something."

"What?"

"I asked, 'Why exactly am I really doing this?' And he said it would help get me on the right path. And I said, '_Look at me_. Can you honestly look me in the eye right now and tell me you believe that?' "

"…"

"And he looked straight at me for a moment, and you know what he said?"

"…What?"

"…'Yes.' "

She smiled a little.

Ken did as well.

"Ken…"

"Yeah?"

"Have a good day."

"All right, you too. …Me too. Bye."

Ken leaned back again.

Suddenly the tunnel was gone and a wave of fresh light swept through the cab.

* * *

"…Check it out…

'When I was very young I wrote my very first rhyme, you gotta learn to do that when you hit a hard time.

I got a little older and found a master called Ken, he unlocked all the power and the strength I had within.

And learning more and more I got a little hard to beat, and when I finished that I was a fighter from the street.

But movin' far and wide it seems harder everyday, I…'

…Man, that's where I always hit a blank," said Sean.

"It's goin' all right so far," said a friend over the phone with a smile.

He threw his bag over his shoulder as he walked. "What I should've probably done…you know, for today and all…what I should've probably done is wrote a _poem_ or something."

"One of your friends probably did that."

"Well…the only one I'd really call a friend, is Ken. I barely know the others. …That's 'cause I'm the youngest—the last one to make it into the little circle."

"Man, from what I've seen you do, you could probably teach some of them a thing or two."

"…Well…maybe this one guy who's not really a student of…hey I gotta go. I'm almost there."

"All right. Hit me later."

"Yeah."

"Not literally."

Sean chuckled. "…Yeah."

* * *

_"The time will come when you will make a friend beyond all others."_

_The brown-haired man looked up a little. "…The time _will _come?"_

_"…"_

_He smiled, "I've made that friend, sensei. I've just said goodbye to him for now."_

_"…"_

_"Sensei?"_

_"…"_

_"Sensei, I've already made that friend, haven't I?"_

* * *

Ryu was leaning against a stone pillar with crossed arms. In the distance before him was a dojo a bit smaller than his—in structure anyway. He watched it with a stare that defied his usual apathy. His mouth was closed but his eyes had a trace of growing sympathy and uncertainty in them.

Suddenly the silence was carelessly broken. "Hey! Ryu!" came a call from behind.

Ryu turned…and saw a gym bag swaying by the waist of a man in shorts and a tee shirt. As he looked up, he recognized the face of Dan Hibiki. "…" Ryu slowly raised his arm and waved.

Dan was panting as he arrived. "…How's it goin', man?" He slapped Ryu's shoulder. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Hi."

Another voice came from the distance. "WHAT'S UP?"

Dan and Ryu turned, and saw Sean at the top of a stone stairway. He wore black jeans and a sleeveless tee shirt.

A calm, slow smile came over Ryu's face.

Dan rolled his eyes.

With his arms still crossed and the smile still there, Ryu's gaze moved a bit.

Rising into sight behind Sean was Ken, wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt with a bag over his shoulder. "Well, well."

"So…now what?" asked Sean as they all gathered.

The bag over Ryu's shoulder was held tighter as he turned. "Now…" he said, looking towards the dojo again, "…we pay our respects."

Ken was feeling a bit guilty. He hadn't made it here in many years.

Dan felt a little unworthy.

Sean still felt like an outsider.

"…All of us," said Ryu without looking.

Suddenly…all of them were feeling a tad better.

Silently, Ken grinned at Ryu.

Ryu remained still.

* * *

If she was late, she'd apologize, express her embarrassment, and do it again just before leaving. Maybe then they'd finally get around to a friendly goodbye hug or at least a handshake.

"…Whatever," she thought to herself.

If she was early, she'd wait in the car and read, hoping he'd make it back before the rain. As Chun-Li made that second turn on the long path leading up towards the dojo, steered away from the ledge on her right, and began pulling towards the distant front porch…she slowed down. She didn't stop driving, but she had to slow down. A stunned look of confusion was on her face.

The car moved in.

It wasn't a _stunned _look of confusion anymore. With her mouth slightly open, it was a brave look of confusion—a concentrated, steady stare.

The car kept moving.

Only one of her hands was on the wheel now. The other was fiddling with the glove box. Her gaze remained ahead.

The car slowed to a stop.

Chun-Li let go of the wheel and turned the keys. She sat for a moment, looking at the visitors who were standing right in front of the porch. Even though there was still some significant distance between them and the car, she could tell they were staring back.

Chun-Li sighed very quietly, undid her seatbelt, readied her gun with a click, and exited the car. She shoved the door closed, then continued watching them in silence.

They just stood there looking back.

"…" Chun-Li began walking over to the dojo.

* * *

Sean spoke up, "So when are we all going to change for the picture? The _group _picture?"

"…Soon as we're all _here_," replied Ken with a smile, staring at the ground.

Ryu thought about the camera among the items in his bag, then noticed the sky was getting a little gray.

A breeze picked up Dan's ponytail. After a few seconds he stopped looking at the ground and looked up. "…" Slowly, Dan's mouth opened.

"Got an automatic one, right?" asked Sean. "You figure we're gonna have to take it inside? The picture?"

Dan's eyes narrowed suspiciously…then widened again.

"Possibly," Ken shrugged.

Dan took a step backwards.

"And what, we're just going to leave it here?" Sean continued. "That's…the part I don't get."

Dan's arms trembled.

"Well we leave one copy here as a sign, you know?" Ken replied. "A symbol of the progress his teachings…_Dan_…"

Dan was looking worried and resentful at the same time.

Ken stared at him a moment, "Dan, what's…?"

Ryu turned to Dan as well.

"…" Dan suddenly stopped trembling upon noticing all the attention, then threw his gaze upward again.

Sean threw a confused frown at Dan, then turned around. "What is…?" Sean paused.

Ken looked where Dan was looking as well. "…" Ken's mouth opened and his eyes slowly widened.

Ryu was still holding his bag over his right shoulder as he stared at Ken. Calmly, his head turned in the direction everyone else was facing. Ryu's eyebrows slowly rose and his mouth opened as well.

Everyone was staring at the top of the dojo—and for good reason.

Suddenly, without looking, a row of black birds up there realized they were no longer alone, and took off in a burst of noisy fear, momentarily confused about how anyone could enter their presence undetected.

The birds soared ahead…casting a dark shade over Ryu, Ken, Dan and Sean as they passed.

The men's attention remained on the roof, however, watching the clenched fists, wavering red hair…and mercilessly cold gaze of Akuma, who stood quietly, looking them down.

* * *

"If you'd rather not die today put your hands in the air." Chun-Li left several yards between herself and her targets.

Neither of them moved. One of them spoke. "There are rules for you people, aren't there?"

"I've given you one warning already," Chun-Li's gaze was very serious, "…and in the case of known people from _your _organization, well…I don't have to give too many more."

"Really?" said the other.

She looked them over again for a moment. Their boots, concealing outfits, and little berets were all dark. Their ties were yellow and their gloves were red. Their hair was short and their expressions were stoic. Twins—right down to the monotone qualities of their voices—except for the fact that their faces were different and one was blonde while the other's hair was a darker shade.

"Now let's try this again," Chun-Li continued. "Juni and Juli, you are under arrest. Put your hands up now."

They didn't.

"…It was you two I heard that night, wasn't it? You tried to call Balrog back at that bust in America."

The three women stood still on the elevated mass of land, surrounded by sky and steady winds.

"By chance we happened to hit on the same night he stopped by."

Neither Juni or Juli said anything.

"You guys sent him there to get help, right? Since your faction of Shadowlaw is weakening you needed some high-quality assistance for a job here, in this country."

They weren't too surprised she'd learned that, though it did make them a bit nervous.

"We got the guys he tried recruiting to tell us that much…but they wouldn't open up about just what the job here was. Either they don't know, they figure they can work out a _deal _with us if they time things properly…or they're still afraid of _you _people."

Both closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Eerily, both opened their eyes and looked back up at her at the same time.

"I'm about to give them two less reasons to be afraid," Chun-Li was holding the weapon with just one hand now as she turned it on its side, still pointing towards them. "See, I need to find out what that job here was. Can't ever be too careful with you all. And since Balrog won't talk just yet, I'm gonna have to either get the info from _you two_…or those prisoners back in the U.S. …And if it's the _latter_…that means they'll need to feel as comfortable as possible," she slowly moved her aim between them.

They didn't budge.

"So I'll give you one last warning…" Suddenly she paused. "…Ryu. Did you two…?" she got a bit nervous, recalling how Shadowlaw had stalked a certain someone in the past.

"No," said Juli. "…We're here for _you_."

"…"

There was silence.

Then Chun-Li wondered something. "How did you…know _where_ to…?" Her finger twitched.

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

Chun-Li fired three shots, a second after spinning around…into an Advanced Monitor Cyborg, which had gone unnoticed behind the only tree up there.

Out of pure speed or some other strange means, Juni suddenly seemed to disappear—her shadow sliding along the ground.

The cyborg stumbled and collapsed, twitching a little.

Chun-Li swung around again. Her eyes widened.

Only a few feet from Chun-Li, Juni threw a high kick, knocking the gun out of her hand. Both women seemed to hold that pose a moment, as the weapon flipped over and over in the air around them…before falling over the closer edge left of the building.

* * *

The clouds were grayer than ever. A long breeze blew by. It was one of those breezes that sounds like an unsettling moan or cry for a moment. The sky was singing. The song was sad.

Sean's eyes blinked as he looked upward. "Was…he invited?"

"…No," said Ryu, still staring as well.

" 'Course not," said Ken with an angry frown. "He's the _reason _we're all here right now."

"…No," said Ryu again.

Ken turned to him.

"I'm not here for this. I'm not here for him…" Ryu was still looking upwards…before suddenly breaking the stare. "I'm here for his brother."

"…" Ken slowly turned back towards Akuma.

"We all are, and we need to remember that," Ryu continued slowly. "This is not the time or place to give Akuma what he wants."

"And…and just what's that?" said Dan, already knowing, but asking like he could care less.

"Oh grow up, Hibiki," whispered Sean to the side.

"_What_? Heh, who are you talking to, kid?"

"I'm talkin' to you," he said without looking. "If you can't figure it out why don't you ask him?"

"…_What_?"

"I SAID IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM? _Scared_?"

"You guys!" said Ken angrily.

"Oh shut up, kid."

"Here…" Sean suddenly pointed at Dan for a second. "Why don't I do it for you?" He turned and cupped the side of his mouth, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Ryu's calm, resentful eyes rose again.

Akuma kept staring all four men down.

"…Well?" said an angry Ken looking upward.

"…I have come to challenge you." Akuma's voice was as dark and cold as one would expect. His eyes narrowed. "All of you."

"…" Ken was quiet.

Sean was too.

Dan looked a little nervous.

Suddenly, Ken began chuckling rather boldly. "Heh, heh, heh…" He stumbled over in Ryu's direction. "Heh, heh, heh…heh, heh…heh, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Ken wrapped one arm around his friend's back and placed his hands over both of Ryu's shoulders, staring at the ground as he laughed.

Ryu's gaze remained unchanged as he looked up at Akuma.

Sean didn't know whether to feel less or more tense.

"…" Slowly, Dan began a smile that became a smirk.

"You see…heh," said Ken to the ground. Slowly, his gaze rose and the smile wasn't there anymore. "It's not bad enough that he kills his own brother…a man who meant a great deal to me…" the angry look in Ken's eyes intensified. "…But he's got the nerve to use our attempt at mourning him, to _challenge _us."

Everyone was quiet.

"_Here_."

More silence.

"Today."

Sean was looking between Ken and Akuma with uncertainty.

Still leaning on Ryu, Ken closed his eyes, pulled the hood over his head, and faced downward again. "…Merely out of respect for your brother…Akuma, I'll give you one chance to look down over your shoulder, and haul what you find there outta here. If I look back up and you're still here…heh…I'm--"

"You will meet me in the shrine," Akuma interrupted, referring to the building not too far behind the dojo. "If you are not there in 10 minutes I'll destroy it."

Ken looked up with a trace of fear in his eyes.

This look was almost matched on Ryu's face.

Sean was expressing even more concern now.

"…" Dan put his hands on his hips and stared.

The uncaring eyes of Akuma were still…before widening as his body suddenly slid backwards at what looked like incredible speed, creating illusory doubles that soon disappeared along with the real thing.

Before anyone else could react, Ryu—the only one down there who'd come dressed in his gi—was running towards the dojo and soon making his way _around _it.

Ken scooped up his backpack and followed at a steady pace.

Sean was rushing ahead almost immediately afterwards.

Dan paused, but soon tried catching up to them.

Behind the dojo, Ryu slowed down, looking at the decorated building in the distance. "…" Slowly, he placed his bag on the ground and began pulling out his brown gloves.

Ken arrived soon afterwards, also staring for a moment…before dropping his backpack, grabbing the bottom of his sweatshirt with both hands, and pulling it up over his head. The wind tickled his physique.

Sean slowed to a few steps behind them with the bag still over his shoulder as his eyes looked ahead. "I've…never seen _this _before."

Ken concentrated on the red gi he was freeing from his backpack.

"I mean I, I've seen the dojo once before but I didn't know this was…back he--" Sean decided to be quiet and get in his gi like everyone else.

Dan whipped out a light-orange top—rather loudly.

"I'm going," said Ryu, having finished his preparations.

"Wait," said Ken, tripping over a shoe, "we gotta do this together."

"He gave us a time limit. I'm not going to take any chances. I'll not allow that shrine to be desecrated."

"Neither will I," said Sean.

Dan looked over at him. "You…never met the master, right?"

"Not the point," Sean retorted.

Ken continued, "I…I got a bad feeling about going into it this way."

Dan scoffed, an insincere smirk coming over his face. "I--"

"Then stay here," Sean cut in with a smile. "Both of you can just sit this one out. Ryu and I will do it."

"_What_?" Dan frowned.

"You say that a lot, don't you?"

Dan continued, "If anyone's gonna sit this out, kid, it should be _you_. It's obvious you're not complete as a fighter."

"And you are? If what I've heard is true you never graduated from this place. Did you?"

"Because I had…" Dan got a little quieter, "because I had a family issue to attend to."

"…"

"At least I've _met _the master."

"When he took _pity _on you, I heard," said Sean. "And even then you still started branching off to form your own little 'Saikyo,' or whatever."

"And I met him when _you _were too young to even--"

Ken cut in, "Look at this, look at this…the fight hasn't even begun yet and they're both already losing," he spoke with a hint of sternness.

Both quieted down and went back to concentrating on their preparations.

Ken turned, "Ryu, you…"

Ryu was gone.

Ken's eyes had a focused seriousness in them.

"…Where'd you buy that black belt, Hibiki?" asked Sean.

"Excuse me?"

"I'd be surprised if you earned it somewhere."

"Heh." Dan stayed quiet.

With his classic red outfit finally on, Ken stood up from a kneeling position and bounced a couple times in place. The gloves he and everyone else wore were light, leather, and unpadded.

"Just stay out of my way in there, kid," said Dan.

Ken interrupted, "That shouldn't be a problem for anyone."

Sean and Dan were quiet.

Ken kept speaking, "Considering how Akuma _appeared _back on the dojo…I'd guess Ryu's headed for the _top _floor in the shrine. I'm going to cover the third. Each of you take one of the first two…when you're done _here_, that is," he rolled his eyes. "I don't want to come back and find you two still goin' at it like this. Either help, or leave. But don't argue here. It's disrespectful."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself there," said Dan.

"What?"

"For once he's got a point," said Sean. "You do remember exactly who we're fighting, right? You do remember exactly why we're…here? What did he mean by 'challenge'?"

Everyone was quiet. The wind hissed again.

"…" Ken slowly looked up. "I'm going to repeat myself: Either fight…or leave."

No one felt like saying anything for a moment.

"Sean…" said Ken suddenly. "…Leave. I'll see you around, buddy." With that he nodded at Dan and ran off.

After a long silence, Dan spoke. "…Sean…" he said, seemingly asking the nervous man beside him what they should do all of a sudden.

Sean licked his lips, looking humbly to the side.

* * *

Juni was falling backwards, her chin pushed _up_ and her arms by her waist. A second or two later she hit the ground, landing on her back and lying still after losing her hat.

Juli ran towards Chun-Li and Chun-Li returned the gesture. Juli launched forward with her right leg extended.

Chun-Li slowed a little, and as Juli's attack was ending, she made a small hop over her, twisting in the air, and coming down with one knee.

Juli felt a strong blow right in the circular opening that exposed some of her back. She dropped to her knees a moment. Then, without looking, she blocked and held a kick coming from behind, spun around on her knees—facing Chun-Li, and shoved her opponent back a few steps by the leg. Just as Juli stood, she threw her left leg upwards in a jump, striking Chun-Li as she went and flipping backwards before touching down again.

Chun-Li fell on her back…then, instead of standing, began doing backward somersaults. She finished one…finished another…finished another…and suddenly as she came out of one more, she threw her hands back and projected something blue—nailing _Juni _with a powerful shot of energy to her gut, which sent her to the ground again.

Chun-Li rolled back on her shoulders and drew her legs inward, soon using a thrust of both to flip herself up. Her fists hung by her sides and the wind blew through her hair.

* * *

For Dan Hibiki, unfortunately, _performing _was what he did best—not fighting. So it came as no surprise to him when he actually jerked in controlled fright upon hearing Akuma's voice.

It came as no surprise to Akuma, either, "Why did it take you so long to get here?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Dan's eyes quickly searched the dimly lit area known as the first floor.

The dark tone would not relent. "Were you perhaps, hoping one of the others would settle this before you arrived?"

Dan's breathing grew a bit deeper. His fists were now clenched. "Where are you?"

"…I would have waited here no matter how long it took you to summon your courage."

Dan's face was feeling warmer. His eyes were still wandering.

Suddenly a shadow flickered on the wall to his left. Dan's eyes widened as he spun and threw a small blue fireball with his right palm.

The projectile disintegrated in a very short time.

"…" Dan took a few steps back, noticing that the large shadow appeared to be that of a _hand_. It disappeared before he could be sure.

"And _that _is exactly why," Akuma referred to Dan's attack.

Dan looked around again, breathing in and out quickly for a few seconds.

"I could see it outside. _Both _of us could."

"…"

"You do not possess the skill of a _warrior_."

"…"

"Instead…you _pretend_."

The words being spoken at the moment were making Dan Hibiki especially uncomfortable.

"You wear a _mask of confidence _before your allies…and probably before your _opponents_, too."

A very quick shadow passed by Dan's right. In reaction, Dan turned, leapt, and launched into a series of forward kicks in the air. He yelled with each one…every single one. Dan landed. He had hit nothing. "…" His breathing was quicker once again. He thought he felt a sweat coming.

There was silence in the room.

Dan caught his breath. "…What did you do with the others?!" He looked around again. "Where are you?! You afraid…heh…you afraid to face me?" Dan grinned a little.

There was still silence.

Dan turned. "I'm not sayin' you're entirely right or anything, but…we're not so different in that regard, are we?"

There was no response.

"You, you wear a mask of confidence too, don't you?"

A few seconds passed.

"Yeah I've, I've watched you fight. You're all about psyching out the opponent. What's that sound you make? 'Hmn!' And then you, and then you stomp the ground," Dan chuckled.

More silence.

"…You know…maybe you could teach me about that. That…and a few other things," said Dan with a less hostile look. "I mean you're _right_…you know?"

Nothing was said back.

"…" Dan opened his hands. "I _am _lacking the proper skill. I just…I just put on a show for the guys and all, but…I'm really in need of help here, with my progress. There's always been something wrong. That's part of why I never finished up with your brother. That's why my style is a pale copy."

It was still quiet.

"You want to…I don't know, maybe we can just stop this, all right? I know you could probably give me the training I need. …All right?" Dan swung around nervously. "Could we at least try that, Akuma? I mean we've got something in common, right?" He chuckled. "So when you think about it, how big could the differences between us be? Why are we doing this? What really is the _difference _between us anyway, Akuma?"

Dan looked around the room. His mouth was a little open.

The room remained quiet.

"…"

Then, Dan saw a shadow speeding towards him across the floor, and as it happened, something finally told him to look up…and as he did, Dan Hibiki saw the most _terrifying _sight of his life—that of a terrifying man falling towards him with absolutely no trace of restraint in his eyes. A long piece of an exercise rope attached to the ceiling dropped with him, no longer being held from view. As they made contact, Dan was pushed backwards into a wall, bumping into a switch and casting a shroud of darkness throughout the room. The darkness was followed by a flurry of mystical flashes and the rapid sounds of a one-sided assault: flesh hitting flesh; fists drawing blood; force _breaking _bone.

And then it stopped, and then it was quiet again.

The hand of Akuma reached out and forced a switch into the upward position.

Light arrived in the room again.

For a moment, Akuma just stared coldly as he looked down at his still victim…before finally speaking two simple words: "That is."

* * *

"And just what was it you wanted from me?" asked Chun-Li rather calmly.

"Shadowlaw believes it can change the world," replied Juli. "Shadowlaw has _always _believed that."

Juni was spinning just above the ground, like a drill. Before she could make contact, though, Chun-Li turned, dropped, blocked, placed one hand on the ground, and pushed one of her legs into her recoiling opponent. Juni rolled backwards, going still and silent again.

Chun-Li stood and turned.

"I know your father was one of the people who _disagreed _with Shadowlaw's _means _towards this end," Juli continued. "As have many."

Chun-Li stared her down.

"But Shadowlaw is about to silence all of the 'disagreements' we've been faced with over the years."

Chun-Li began walking towards her.

"With a little help from you…"

She began _running _towards her.

"…And with a little help from them," Juli pointed at the cyborg on the ground, then brought her hand into a defensive position.

* * *

Sean was taking careful steps around the second floor. His hands were cautiously raised every minute or so. Just as he thought about making Ken mad by leaving the "post" and going to check on him…he suddenly felt as though he wasn't alone anymore. Sean turned to the right.

Standing several yards from him was Akuma.

Sean's eyebrows flinched. He took a step back. He clenched the hand that was raised, then he clenched the other. "…" Ready, he charged Akuma.

In beautifully fluid motion, moments before he could _collide _with the other man, the yellow-clad fighter leapt forward, flipping sideways in the air and swinging both legs out with a defiant glance upon descent. Sean's motion was _so _beautifully fluid, that after Akuma avoided the attack—using the same form of backward movement he had displayed outside—Sean lost his balance upon landing, which was the result of not quite jumping properly. His eyes widened a second and he fell backwards on the floor.

"Haven't perfected one of your maneuvers?" asked Akuma, watching the young man rise.

Sean stood, shaking his right ankle a bit. "Hope you don't think that matters."

With very little warning, in the very next moment, Akuma was in Sean's face—having used his mysterious warping technique once again.

Sean drew back a little in surprise.

"It does." That was all the stony-faced man said, before just standing still.

Sean pulled an arm back and threw a punch, which was quickly caught. Sean used his other hand. Akuma caught that one as well.

Akuma asked another question: "You didn't recognize this as a _lure_?" he spoke less forgivingly.

Sean's eyes were a nervous kind of brave. He yanked away, stepped back, and quickly used his left leg—the one that felt fine—to attack his opponent's waist.

Akuma caught that as well, and with an angry look, spun around, hurling Sean across the floor in that direction—and the floor hurt as Sean's head bounced on it.

A bit slower this time, Sean pulled himself up again.

"Your best countermeasure from there would be to throw a fireball," Akuma said it with an eerie confidence.

Sean slouched a bit with clenched fists. He shifted into position.

"…What?" Akuma asked after a few seconds.

Sean's teeth were gritted.

"You still need that much concentration—for a _standard _projectile?" he spoke with a trace of disgust. "How long does it take you to build to a stronger one?"

Sean put down his hands and clenched his fists, feeling Akuma was too prepared.

"So…this is _your _problem," said Akuma. "Unlike your comrade, you _do _possess the courage…"

Sean was quiet, frowning a bit in suspicion.

"And you possess a higher amount of skill than him."

Sean pulled back his right leg, leaning just a little.

"But as a warrior…you're young…"

"…"

"Naïve."

"…"

"_Lacking_."

Sean charged forward again, ignoring the slight pain in his ankle and the fact that someone else had made a similar comment not too long ago. Hoping for the best, Sean tackled Akuma at the waist, intending to pound away at him once they fell.

Akuma, however, took a step back like his opponent had a moment ago, steadying himself and remaining up.

An expression of surprise came over Sean's face, followed by one of pain as he felt Akuma's elbow on the back of his neck. Before Sean could just hit the floor, though, he found himself pulled up a bit, soon receiving a hard knee in his torso.

"…" Sean wore a sad look, but was determined not to voice his discomfort.

Being brought almost all the way up now, he momentarily faced Akuma, before receiving a backward slap that dropped him to the floor again. Sean was staring at the distant ceiling. Moments later, he pulled himself up once more.

Akuma watched with no sign of being impressed at all.

"Heh," Sean slouched again, looking down. "…You've got a point," slowly, he began stumbling in Akuma's direction. "Just like my _rhymes_…"

"…"

"…My skill as a fighter is _incomplete_."

Akuma stared coldly.

Sean looked up with the best smile he could manage. He was sounding a little weary now. "Guess I'm not _alone_ in that feeling, huh?"

"…"

"I mean…if you felt _your _skill was complete…you wouldn't be here right now challenging us—seeking proof."

The stare became colder.

"Heh, heh." Sean kept advancing slowly. "…When I was very young I wrote my very first rhyme…you gotta learn to do that when you hit a hard time…" he clapped his hands together, pulled them down, and swung into a jumping uppercut with both.

Akuma pulled his head back a little while his expression barely changed. After Sean landed, Akuma threw him across the other side of the room.

Sean hit with a thud, lying still.

Akuma walked towards him.

Sean slowly got up, looking in the other direction. "I got…I got a little older and found a master called Ken…" Sean smiled a bit "…he unlocked all the power and the strength I had within--" Sean suddenly threw his left leg backwards.

Akuma sidestepped.

A second later Sean felt a hard fist slam into his lower back. He gritted his teeth, he closed his eyes, he stumbled forward and fell to one knee…but he wouldn't scream.

Akuma held his fist out…then withdrew it and advanced again.

Sean crawled forward, trying to reach the wall before him—for some reason. He didn't know what it was. He didn't care what it was. "And learning more and more I got a little hard to beat, and when I finished that…fighter from the street." He reached for the wall, still on the floor. He felt a hard kick to his upper back that sent him closer to his goal.

Akuma paused, staring as the young man used the building for support.

"…Huff…" Sean coughed, still very much feeling the impact in his back. He stood by the wall with his hands on his knees in a leaning position, staring at the floor. "…But movin' far and wide…it seems harder everyday…" Sean shook his head with an arched eyebrow, then relaxed again. Suddenly everything around him seemed to be getting calmer. "I…"

Akuma was still staring.

"I…" A slow smile came across Sean's face. During the next moment, things felt so calm and quiet and woozy for him that _sound _seemed to fade for a few seconds as he turned his head and saw a ruthless-looking man throw a large, unbelievably ruthless-looking fireball. "…Heh," thought Sean. "…_Now _I figure the rest of it out."

* * *

Juli hopped forward and spun, swinging her knuckles out as she finished turning.

Chun-Li blocked the attack, noticing it was a bit more forceful than she had expected, _held_ Juli's arm, and drove a knee into her torso—followed quickly, in an almost continuous motion, by a standing high kick from her other leg.

Juli fell back in pain.

Chun-Li felt two arms around her waist from behind, and before long, someone was indeed scooping her off the ground with the intent of placing her on it again headfirst. Quickly, she hooked one of her legs behind Juni's, preventing herself from rising any higher. Chun-Li swung a backward elbow to Juni's head, freeing herself as her opponent staggered back a little.

Seconds later, as she recovered and noticed Chun-Li was airborne, Juni jumped as well, catching the surprised other woman with her legs, flipping backwards…and slamming Chun-Li to the ground. Juni somersaulted forward, soon flipping herself up with a graceful spin.

Chun-Li rolled on her side—slowly.

* * *

Ken was again in a kneeling position with his arms resting over his knees.

A few seconds passed.

Ken's eyebrows lowered, and a confused, then angry frown was on his face. Almost immediately after the expression changed, Ken had stood up, turned around, and charged towards Akuma.

Akuma paused…then lifted his hands and moved into a ready stance.

Suddenly Ken _stopped_, and swung both arms _back _with the bottoms of both palms _together_.

And in barely any time at all, Akuma was in the air—flipping forward and extending a leg.

And almost simultaneously, Ken was drawing his arms _out _of the pose, revealing that he actually _wasn't _going to throw a _hadouken_.

In mid-air, Akuma flinched—angrily…yet there seemed to be a _knowing _look in his eyes at the last moment as well.

Ken's powerful fist launched towards the opponent.

And amazingly enough, Akuma managed to _block _the _shoryuken_. His teeth were gritted and his angry expression indicated he was struggling with the stinging force of the blow.

A moment later both men landed.

"Hmn!" Akuma threw a powerful forward jab.

With a few gritted teeth of his own, Ken blocked. Right afterwards, Ken swung a kick towards Akuma's ribs.

Akuma had warped backwards in typical fashion, avoiding the attack entirely.

But Ken followed, running after him as soon as he finished the spin, and rolling into a somersault moments later.

Akuma leapt backwards.

As Ken stood, he jumped in pursuit…before feeling the impact of a downward fireball that knocked him to the floor. 15-Love.

Akuma landed.

"…" Ken stood.

Both stared.

One of Ken's eyebrows rose. "Arraaaaaa…." He rushed Akuma again. Ken threw a series of kicks—all of which were sidestepped or blocked.

Ken swung a punch.

Akuma caught it.

Ken used his other hand.

Akuma caught it.

Ken felt himself being lifted off the floor as an unpleasant feeling accompanied the twisting of his wrists.

A less than merciful-looking Akuma whipped Ken overhead and let go of his arms.

Much to Akuma's surprise, however, Ken quickly landed on his feet, then, still looking away, drove one into Akuma's lower torso.

Akuma reeled backwards, nearly touching the spot where Ken had kicked him. As he looked up again, he saw that his opponent was not wasting a moment.

One, two, three, four—Ken spun in the air that many times, kicking Akuma with each rotation.

Akuma's head managed to turn back in Ken's direction after it was no longer being hit, facing him with a look of resolve and resentment.

Ken threw another _shoryuken_ upon landing.

Akuma barely dodged it, and threw one of his own.

Ken was knocked from the air again, landing in pain. Before standing, he rolled backwards.

Akuma greeted him with a viciously quick fireball.

Ken leapt, flipping forward and coming down on his side with both legs out.

A surprised Akuma's brave gaze was upwards. A moment later, he felt a quick strike from Ken's heel above.

Both men came crashing down…and both men were still for a few seconds.

They rolled, pushing against the floor and hopping up.

"I'll bet that hurt, huh?" said Ken, catching his breath with a grin.

"…" Akuma chuckled, staring straight at him.

"What? That was funny?"

"I was wondering how long it would take."

"How long what would take?"

"…Outside when I realized it was still there…I was actually glad."

"What are you talkin' about?" there was a trace of seriousness in Ken's voice.

"…Your legendary ego."

Ken's face began to reflect his tone.

"You should have just continued your attack…" Akuma was walking forward, "but you _couldn't_, could you? Not without opening that _mouth _of yours. Not without getting a taunt in."

Ken was on guard.

"You probably could've won…were it not for this issue." Akuma's eyes were darker. "…Your master _warned _you about it, didn't he?"

"Shut up."

"Yes. I suspect he always _knew _about you."

Ken's fists were tighter.

"He always knew that _that _would hold you back."

"…"

"And there are probably others in your life who've known it as well."

Ken's fists loosened a bit.

"And finally…" Akuma stopped walking. "_You _know."

"…"

"Not the solution…just the problem."

"…"

A smirk crossed Akuma's face. "All these years…you've wondered, 'Why _him_?' Why not you?"

Ken's eyes were fixed on Akuma, but they looked a bit less bold than before.

"Why is _he _ahead? Why are you always second best?"

The words echoed through Ken's head. _Why is he ahead? Why are you always second best? Why is he ahead? Why are you always second best? Why is he ahead? Why am I always_…Ken held and shook his head a bit. He looked up.

The same dark grin was on Akuma's face.

"AAAAHH!" Ken rushed Akuma again.

Akuma prepared.

"HA! HEA! HA!" Ken sent a flurry of unsuccessful attacks at his opponent. He began thinking to himself as it happened. "I am not still weakened by my ego. I am _not_!" Ken threw kick after kick, punch after punch, and even tried just slapping and kneeing Akuma a few times…before finally going into an amazing series of standing uppercuts ending with the _shoryuken_: the _shoryureppa_.

His opponent held his guard up during the attack, however, watching as Ken went up.

And as Ken came down, facing the other direction…he suddenly felt a strong hand grab and clench his hair, before turning him around. He didn't exactly look afraid, but Ken's eyes widened a little when he saw Akuma's.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO DO THIS?" With that, Akuma buried his fist into Ken's torso, quickly following with a series of powerful uppercuts of his own—the last of which carried Akuma and Ken into the air.

Ken watched as the ceiling grew closer then moved away from him just as soon.

He felt more pain as his body hit the floor with a hard thud.

It took a moment for Ken to arch to one knee, rub his chin…then pull himself up. Standing right in front of him was Akuma. Ken flinched again, before feeling himself tossed once more. He tried landing from it, but he slipped and fell. Ken held his side, then crawled to one knee. "AH!"

With his hands interlocked, Akuma had slammed both fists on Ken's upper back.

After that Ken looked up—and closed his eyes suddenly.

The impact of Akuma's purple fireball slammed into Ken's face, throwing him backwards as he rolled on the floor, trying desperately to shake it off.

Akuma stood with clenched fists, watching.

"…" Ken was on his knees facing away from his opponent, with one hand on the floor and the other rubbing his face. Slowly, the hand on the floor balled up, and a panting, dazed Ken grunted as he stood. "…" He had one hand against the wall now, using it to prop himself up as he slouched. Ken's head began turning.

Akuma was approaching him.

"…Yeah, heh…so I got an ego," he looked at the floor again. "I'm not the only one from this little circle who has one, though…am I?"

Akuma paused.

"If anyone's ego is bigger than mine…" Ken continued…then looked at Akuma with a smile. "Well…I think we'd all know the rest of that statement."

"…"

"Heh," Ken continued. " 'We'd all.' 'This circle.' Seems I'm always part of a gang."

"…"

He was again looking down. "At least this time I chose the right one," he smiled as memories flew by.

Akuma moved towards him again.

"At least I chose the right path…unlike some people I know."

Akuma stopped and stood there. "The technique you followed? The right path?"

"…"

"Look at yourself."

A drop of blood fell from Ken's mouth while he stared at the floor.

"Can you honestly look me in the eye at this moment…and tell me you believe that?"

"…" And Ken Masters turned and looked straight at Akuma.

"…"

"…Yes."

"…" Akuma's eyebrows rose suddenly. He leaned back, lifted his hand…and sent loud, tall waves of energy that looked like lightening at his opponent.

Ken's arms instinctively went up and protected him as best they could.

The thin wall of the building busted open with the impact of Ken's body.

The wind brushed over him. Ken fell from the third floor…but ended up hitting a balcony ledge on the second, before gravity eventually took over again, bringing him the rest of the short way down. He hit the ground with another hard thud, landing on his back.

"…" Ken's eyes fluttered. He felt a drop of rain or two, before the sky suddenly wasn't the only thing that seemed to be getting dark.

* * *

The cyborg stirred a little.

Both Juni and Juli were rushing towards the target now.

She was looking away, trying to pull herself up.

They kept running.

She had one hand on the ground, and the other on an elevated knee.

They drew nearer.

She had her head down, facing the dirt.

They were only a few yards away.

She turned, flipping into one of her most recognizable attacks.

"…"

"…"

They paused in surprise.

With her legs extended as she spun round and round, Chun-Li passed between Juni and Juli, hitting both as she went, knocking them into a dazed state. "…" She landed on her feet facing them, leaned back, swung both arms back with her, and… "Haaaa, KIKOUSHOU!" A beautiful burst of blue energy escaped her palms, large enough to strike both women and send them to the ground in worse pain than anything they had been hit with so far.

Juni and Juli fell in opposite directions, stunned expressions tearing through their formerly stoic ones.

Chun-Li stood in place, pausing with wobbly legs.

Everything was silent.

Chun-Li stumbled over to Juni, who had crawled to her knees, grabbed the surprised woman by her tie…and slammed a fist to the side of her face.

Juni reeled.

Chun-Li slowly pulled back…and threw her fist again.

Juni's head wobbled.

"UNG!" Chun-Li suddenly cried out, feeling a sharp pain in her left leg. She let go of Juni and looked over her shoulder, seeing a long _wire _of some sort—obviously headed by a small spear—extending from _her _body…to the hand of the Monitor Cyborg; the advanced one she thought she had finished off earlier. Blood ran down her leg.

Just as Chun-Li was reaching for the line, an electrical current traveled across it, and she felt quite a shock—one that was strong enough to drop her to the ground.

Juli pulled herself up.

Juni pulled the wire from Chun-Li's body with a careless yank…then began drawing her own leg back in a rare display of emotion.

"No," called Juli. "…She's not to be harmed more than necessary."

"…" Juni put her leg down.

Juli continued, coming closer, "Help me get her to our vehicle."

* * *

Before Ryu could leave the room and find out what had caused the faint noise he'd heard somewhere below…he noticed the presence of another warrior in there with him. Already. As though the force behind it was so _sure _of being done with whatever had just happened, that it had come for him immediately afterwards. And the force in there with him was a quiet, dark, terribly powerful one.

"…" Ryu stopped. He looked around the wide room. His opponent was either standing behind something, or warping elsewhere every time Ryu's eyes neared his location. Either way he couldn't actually see anyone just yet. But the presence remained—preying on him.

Moments of silence passed.

"…" Ryu opened his hands, turned, and began walking towards a wall. He spoke up in a firm, yet calm tone. "Akuma…"

No response.

"…Some opponents you remember…some, you forget."

Silence followed.

"But every now and then—because of my conscience—there comes an opponent I _have _to remember…due to a certain reason."

It was still quiet afterwards.

Ryu stood, facing the wall. "I'll end up remembering you for the same one if you don't stop, now."

Thunder brewed outside.

No response came.

Ryu looked over the various weapons collected on the wall, which had been placed in the building long before it became a shrine.

Akuma's voice arrived out of nowhere, "I'll stop, when I have my answer."

Ryu didn't turn. "To what question?"

"…You know what question."

Ryu released two long wooden staffs, eyeing them as he held one in each hand.

Thunder brewed again.

"…Fine," said the warrior in white. "Let's get started." And _right after that_, Ryu spun and tossed a staff in the air.

And _right after that_, Akuma appeared and caught it before it had any chance of landing.

"CLACK"—the sound that would be heard again and again over the next several seconds.

A couple of thrusts from Akuma's staff met with a couple of dodges from Ryu's head—the calm refusing to leave his eyes.

Ryu retaliated, aiming for his opponent's waist, but Akuma sidestepped, adjusted his weapon, and swung it down hard. Just in time, Ryu ducked a little while raising his staff horizontally, one hand towards each end.

Another clack came, and both held their positions in a test of strength.

"…"

"…"

Eventually, Akuma pushed Ryu a few feet back against another wall. Their poses were unchanged—Akuma pressed down vertically while Ryu pushed away horizontally. They both looked calm.

"We both feel the same way…that's why we're really doing this," said Akuma, a dark grin suddenly on his face. "We both crave the feeling of power."

"…"

"We both crave the feeling of victory."

"…"

"…And neither of us are ever satisfied."

"…"

"We're alike, you and I," Akuma's grin faded. "That's why, unlike _them_…I can't find any weaknesses in you. Because we both share the same love…and that love won't allow it."

Ryu's expression remained calm and focused.

"…"

"You're wrong." Ryu pressed forward a bit more. "Unlike _you_…this isn't the only kind of love I'm capable of."

"…"

"…And that's part of what will get me out of here today."

"…Will it?" said Akuma.

"…" Ryu pushed Akuma away. Suddenly, his right fist struck out, cracking his opponent's staff in half with one strike. Ryu had not placed that hand back on his own staff for a second when Akuma swung his right wrist down on it, snapping the weapon in two. Slowly, with his bold eyes remaining on Akuma the whole time, Ryu stood completely straight, letting the sticks in his hands drop.

Akuma did the same with the now V-shaped piece of wood before him.

"…"

"…"

Ryu turned a bit, eyeing his gloves as he began adjusting them where he stood.

Akuma looked down, tugging on the straps of his belt and making it tighter.

There was about five feet of space between them.

"What you've just said has another flaw in it," Ryu pulled on his headband, not looking at Akuma. "While I at least believe that one day I _might _find satisfaction…I don't think that _you _do."

Akuma crooked his neck to one side, then the other. "I'll be satisfied. …I'll find a satisfaction when my power overcomes yours…or when _yours _overcomes mine."

"Well, we'll see to that soon enough, Akuma."

"I'm certain we will."

They were facing each other again now.

Akuma paused, staring at Ryu. "…No."

"…"

"You're no different from the rest of them."

"What?" said Ryu.

But Akuma said nothing else. Slowly, the air around him began to hiss. The calm in his eyes remained unchanged.

"…"

A flicker of light swept the space around both of Akuma's hands.

Ryu blinked, his own stare no more or less brave than before. Slowly, the air around him began to crackle.

"…"

Streaks of blue light began to form around his arms and pour towards Ryu's hands.

The energy generated by both men sounded off, casting shadows all over.

Akuma pulled his arms to his side.

Ryu did the same.

The energy began to build in Akuma's hands, growing brighter and brighter.

The energy in Ryu's looked nearly as strong, but not quite.

The two men stood in near identical poses—bent at the waist, one leg forward, one extended behind, both arms pulled back, eyes facing down to the side.

Suddenly, Akuma's gritted teeth opened, his head rose a bit, his arms swung forward…and his energy took shape—again forming a large ball of purple and pink, the effect of which was nowhere near as friendly as its coloring. "…" It was in this very moment—almost simultaneously—that Akuma learned just why Ryu's energy had looked weaker than his own: because it was. _Deliberately_.

Using his legs instead of his arms, Ryu leapt over the attack, grabbed a surprised man immediately after landing, and—in a motion he had used so many, many times before—fell backwards, jammed his leg into the opponent's torso, and used his momentum to hurl Akuma somewhere else.

Some sort of burst was heard by both men as it happened. And as it _ended_, one of them began to understand just what that meant.

It was a feeling of confusion at first…then _nervousness_—sweeping through Akuma as he had automatically expected to feel an _impact_, but instead felt _nothing _after Ryu threw him. Then the pull of gravity kicked in, followed by swift, terrifying logic: My attack hit the wall and the wall came apart and I was thrown through a hole and we're on the fourth floor and I'm going to fall now and I won't stop until I hit the ground.

Boom 

There was no ledge on this side of the building.

Outside, Akuma slowly pulled himself up, stumbling. The wind picked up and brushed through his hair. A trickle of blood from the spot on his forehead rolled down and got in his angry teeth. Then, from a corner of his dark eyes, he saw something. Quickly, Akuma dodged, raised _his_ hand, and caught _another_—the fist of Dan Hibiki.

"…" A bruised and bloody Dan growled as he stared down Akuma.

The other hand of Akuma pounded into Dan's ribs.

Dan grunted in pain, barely able to use his free arm at the moment due to the broken bone.

Holding Dan's fist, Akuma tossed him overhead and slammed him right to the ground, before bringing another punch back down to Dan's midsection.

Behind them, Sean flipped forward, turned on his side, and slammed his outstretched legs into Akuma's back.

Akuma stumbled ahead, tripping over Dan and falling to one knee for a moment.

Sean's knuckles were pressed against the ground as he stared at it, catching his breath and trying to ignore the throbbing pains throughout his body. Soon, he got up and charged again, this time throwing a forward kick towards Akuma's torso.

Akuma sidestepped, caught it, held it…and launched a _shoryuken_, sending his opponent down again.

Sean rolled on his side, holding his upper torso while kicking the ground with his heel a few times in pain.

"Arrr…!" Dan rushed Akuma with a vertical chop.

Akuma turned, blocked, and countered with a quick horizontal one to Dan's side, before grabbing him by the neck and lifting him into the air.

Dan grunted with closed eyes.

Akuma snarled at him, showing no sign of mercy.

"…"

Akuma looked calmer as he watched.

Dan pulled a hand back, then threw a small blue burst right into Akuma's face.

Akuma let go, clutching his head.

Dan fell to his knees in the opposite direction, holding his neck and coughing.

Akuma wiped some blood away. Just as he was about to bring down a hard chop on Dan, he paused, holding his hand in the air and curling his fingers as he looked ahead.

Standing by the shrine entrance suddenly was Ryu—watching him, seemingly daring him to do it.

An angry Akuma walked past Dan.

Ryu advanced as well.

Akuma charged forward.

Ryu began running…then slowed before making contact, launching into a hurricane kick, sailing over a ducking opponent.

Akuma stood and turned, lashing out with a punch that was blocked, sending the target back an inch or two.

The bottom of Ryu's palm connected with Akuma's chin, causing Akuma to reach for it a second later. As this happened, Ryu grabbed the back of Akuma's neck and drove a knee into his side…followed by another.

Akuma punched Ryu's torso, effectively pushing him back a bit before launching a quick little purple _hadouken_, sending the other warrior rolling down a small gray hill in a burst of light.

A series of kicks from an airborne Dan connected, pushing Akuma to the side.

Sean had gotten up and was running towards the fight again. Suddenly he slowed down, covering himself as Dan's body flew into him. Both collapsed in a pile of pain.

Behind Akuma, Ryu leapt into sight and landed back on the same ground as the others.

Quickly, Akuma spun and launched another _hadouken_—nullifying the one flying at him. Charging in again, Akuma was met with a strong sidekick from Ryu—one that sent him rolling backwards. Leaping into the air afterwards, Akuma hurled a downward fireball.

Ryu met it with a _shoryuken_, the force of which pushed him harmlessly though the attack.

Akuma warped.

Upon his landing, Ryu found himself grabbed and on the receiving end of a strong head-butt, then another successful, painful fireball.

Ryu tumbled backwards, then felt a multi-hit hurricane kick while his guard was down. On the ground, Ryu felt a bit hazy…soon noticing his opponent moving in again. Somersaulting backwards, Ryu swept his right leg across the dirt, bringing Akuma down for a moment.

Almost immediately, Akuma somersaulted backwards as well, standing once again. Just then, he turned, ran, and threw another ball of purple, blasting Sean out of the air behind him.

Slowly, Ryu pulled himself up.

Slowly, Akuma turned, facing him.

There were several yards between them.

A bit of blood was coming from Ryu's mouth now.

Akuma's voice was a little louder but no less darker. "You've always wondered, 'How does it end?' "

Ryu said nothing back.

The wind blew a little harder.

"Of all the battles you've overcome…" Akuma stepped forward a bit.

"…"

"Of all the people who've come after you…"

"…"

"Of all the challenges you've faced…"

"…"

"…Hear my words, Ryu…"

His short brown hair ruffled near his eyes.

"With this _next attack_…I…will BE THE LAST ONE!" and with that, Akuma rushed forth.

Ryu stared him down…then shifted into his fighting position.

Side by side on the ground, Sean and Dan looked up.

Ryu's eyebrows lowered and his fists tightened.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment as the luminous auras of energy gathered around Akuma's hands. His legs were unrelenting. His yell carried on the whole time.

"…No," said Sean, wiping some dirt from around his eyes.

Dan watched on with a frown that looked sad and tense.

Akuma's eyes were wide, scary, and disturbingly confident as he neared.

Ryu's left arm extended partially, his fingers opening up. Ryu's right arm pulled back, his fingers remaining closed.

Akuma's energy was fully prepared. His yell quieted. His teeth gritted.

Ryu's bold eyes widened and the rest of his body began to move.

Akuma's eyes widened as well.

The ground between them suddenly exploded with a blue blast. The impact was closer to Akuma.

Both stopped. After a second or two, they realized what direction the source had come from.

Not finding the strength to pull themselves up just yet, Sean and Dan looked around as well.

Just as a loud burst of thunder made itself heard, everyone paused and stared for a moment—because that was when they spotted her, and because that's just the kind of effect she has on men.

Sakura was standing not too far from the crowd, wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, dark-gray pants, and sneakers. There was no band below her short, waving hair, and no trace of amusement on her face. She extended a slow arm, which paused, holding out a fist…before extending a quick finger.

Akuma felt like one of her young students for a few seconds.

She spoke: "This disgrace ends now."

Akuma stared, looking a little confused for some reason.

Dan and Sean were speechless…until Sean said something. "Where, where has she been?" He watched as Sakura's arm lowered.

Dan replied, "…I think she used to have this, well known habit of running a little late for things—like fights—when she was younger. That's all I know. I mean _I_, never really got to kn--"

"Is…she in her _twenties_?"

"I--" Dan stopped upon noticing Ryu moving again.

Another hurricane kick missed.

Akuma quickly grabbed Ryu and threw, sending him rolling a few yards away. Wary of Dan and Sean trying their usual, he warped back a little, making sure he could keep his eyes on them. Upon regenerating, Akuma stopped again for a moment. The unexpected was occurring.

With an unrelentingly confident stare on her bold face, Sakura was charging towards Akuma.

Akuma's eyes narrowed and he fell into his stance.

She drew closer.

Suddenly, the expression on his face changed. He looked a bit confused again.

As Dan and Sean tried pulling themselves from the ground, they seemed to be watching with the same awe.

There was something about Sakura. There had _always _been something about Sakura. No opponent had ever really been surprised when it revealed itself during a fight, and none had been thrown off by the sweet little schoolgirl façade that used to accompany her _before _one. She had a certain demeanor about her that would always tell people—whether they were an opponent, master, or both—one thing: She's probably more skilled than she looks. This aura was so mysterious, so alive, so _forward_…that no street fighter was completely immune to it…not even Akuma.

He watched her with a frown, taking a step back but raising his arms.

"Sakura!"

She stopped, looking for the source of the call as she slowed down.

The others did as well. Sean's eyes slowly lit up and a smile actually came over his face.

With fists ready and eyes fixed on one man, Ken spoke: "He's mine."

She stared between the two of them.

"Please, see if Sean's okay. _Please_." Ken called out to her then rushed out to Akuma.

Sakura lowered the guard that naturally went up upon standing still, then turned and walked towards her fallen comrades.

Ken yelled as he ran, stopping to swing his arms back and hurl a _hadouken_.

Akuma actually warped past it _and _Ken in one motion, starting another of his own _shoryureppas_ as he turned.

Making a quick and desperate effort, Ken turned and threw his arms up. The attack was blocked.

Thunder brewed again.

"HA!"

A kick from Ken made Akuma wince a moment. He retaliated with a surprisingly swift and angry _shoryuken_, knocking Ken down. Akuma spun around afterwards and once again immediately threw a _hadouken_.

But Ryu was faster, using the classic jump-over-the-fireball-and-kick counter.

Akuma stumbled back…then spun around and hit Ryu with a successful roundhouse, knocking him away.

As Ken was running in again, perhaps a little too loudly due to the anger, Akuma did a _quick _flip towards him, coming out of it with one leg that easily dropped the opposition. After Akuma rolled back, stood, and warped aside again, he saw an unusual attack begin.

Ryu opened with a _forward _hurricane kick consisting of a single rotation, which rocked Akuma's head back as it hit. He followed with an in close standing kick—hitting Akuma once on the way up and again on the way down. "…" Ryu finished by pulling his arms back, then throwing them forward.

In what seemed like a slower moment again, Akuma fell, his body charred with the stinging power of the _shakunetsu hadouken_.

Following that, he rolled down the same small hill Ryu had before, fading from sight.

"Huff…huff…" Ryu fell to one knee in pain.

Already down, Ken simply looked up a bit, trying to catch his breath as well.

Sakura stood a few yards from Dan and Sean, watching on with them.

Akuma rose into sight again, stepping forward slowly and tearing off what remained of his top. He growled, staring at the divided group.

"Yeah, you're one tough little cookie," said Ken. "But even you can't keep this up much longer!" he called out a little louder. "It's not that little thing we've got in common that's still driving me; it's not ego. I'm still out here because I've had time to _rest_. You haven't."

Akuma stared Ken down.

"…Has he?" Ken glanced at the others.

"I don't know," said Sean. "But…ego, huh?" he paused. "…I found out in there that I had something in common with him, too."

"What's that?" Ken was looking forward again.

Sean said it casually, "A constant sense of being incomplete…as a fighter. He was taunting me with it."

"That, that's _not_…" Ken paused. "He was taunting _me_,too." He looked past Sean. "Dan?"

Dan was quiet.

So were the others.

Dan spoke up. "He talked about the confidence I try to present. Said I have to use it…to outwit an opponent. He…he was right."

Ken turned again. "Maybe…to an extent. …But that's not really the point," he stepped forward a little. "Heh…look at this. Look at _us_." He

called out. "Look at what you've done, Akuma! I'll bet you didn't even realize."

Thunder rumbled again.

Ryu stopped staring at Akuma and looked down to the side, listening to Ken.

"You've disgraced your _brother_! You've disgraced _us_…" Silence followed for a moment. Then Ken continued. "…And you've disgraced our legacy."

The thunder quieted.

After a few seconds, the hissing winds returned.

Akuma's cold expression was unchanged.

"We were supposed to fight _together _when the time came, not fight each other," said Ken. "We were all supposed to _learn _from each other, not outdo each other. It's obvious that's how things were _meant _to be."

Akuma spoke up, "Tell me how!"

"Because all of your favorite weaknesses in us exist in _yourself _as well!"

Akuma's eyes got a little wider.

…Thunder cracked again.

Ryu was staring at him calmly now.

"…" Ken lowered his hand.

Dan couldn't say anything.

Sean couldn't either.

"Except…" Ryu began, "…for what's perhaps, humanity's greatest one." He had a quick vision of a college cafeteria.

Akuma opened his eyes and looked at Ryu.

Ryu stared back.

"If that's true," Akuma began, "then there's a certain reason for that."

"…What?"

"_I_, am no longer…" Akuma's energy began to build, "…a common _member _of humanity."

The air above and around him began to hiss again.

Ryu prepared to block or dodge. It was a few seconds after that that his guard loosened a bit and his expression changed once more.

All of the hissing air around Akuma seemed to blow a bit louder and harder. A focused, angry look was on his face again. The energy around him formed into visible swirls.

"…No…" said Ken quietly, his look matching Ryu's.

"What's goin' on?" asked a nervous Sean.

"…He actually did it," said Ken. "He's given himself over to the darkness."

Akuma's skin began to change before everyone's very eyes; it grew paler.

Dan was looking even more worried.

Ken continued, holding his hands up with a tense stare, "The corrupted form I told you about?"

"Yeah…?" Sean watched.

A dark essence enveloped Akuma's body. The swirls began pouring into him.

"This is it…" said Ken. "…Taken to the fullest, I think."

Akuma screamed—_loudly_—as the aura of power finished presenting itself.

As the end of the display played out and the noise quieted, everyone present looked either confused or downright frightened…everyone but Sakura, whose brown hair flapped above a bold gaze.

Akuma breathed heavily, looking up at those around him.

Someone took a step forward. "If that's the kind of power I think it is," Ryu looked closely, "…then you won't be able to last very long with it in you. That's the _catch_, isn't it?"

"I have…become a _true _master of it," Akuma marched forward.

"No, you just _want _to believe that. How many _supers _have you used here today anyway? And now this? Your body won't be able to take it."

Akuma kept walking.

Ryu watched him.

"Remember what I said earlier, about how you were the same as all of them? That's because I could _tell_. I could tell that you had yet to unlock this strength—the ultimate potential of the technique."

"…"

"You've felt it by now…haven't you? Surely _you _have. You've felt it calling you. Beckoning to be explored and released."

"…" Ryu wasn't going to answer.

"And you're not the only one." And then Akuma's gaze fell behind Ryu for a moment. "_She _has as well. I could tell."

Ryu looked a little surprised.

"But there can only be one true master," Akuma looked down. "With words I said that to _him_…"

"…"

"AND WITH THIS I SAY IT TO YOU!" Akuma leapt up and threw a huge fireball down towards Ryu.

Not wanting to even risk the damage of blocking it, Ryu threw another _shoryuken_…which wasn't enough to carry him though it unscathed. Feeling part of the attack—which felt like quite a lot—Ryu fell and once again rolled out of sight, lying rather quietly this time.

Ken began running in Akuma's direction.

Akuma threw a smaller, yet powerful-looking _hadouken_.

Ken leapt over it and continued.

The projectile continued as well, flying quickly on its path…until Sakura stopped it—not blocking but using a defiant thrust to _parry _the attack.

Dan and Sean watched, staring at the five fingers extending from her outward palm.

She glanced at them, reaching down to hold each by the shoulder for a moment. "Stay here."

Ken was still charging Akuma with fists balled.

Sakura was steadily advancing behind him.

"…" Ken was struck by a strong _shakunetsu hadouken_, one that had simply moved too fast from Akuma's hands. He fell backwards to the ground, soon being tended to by a kneeling Sakura.

Then Sakura looked up, and saw that the next fireball was intended for her.

"NO!" Suddenly, Ryu leapt between the attack and its target, parrying it away. He caught his breath, then looked over at Akuma, then continued. "…No. You'll not hurt my friends anymore." Ryu was holding his side every few seconds.

Akuma watched him with a disturbing gaze. Wanting space for what was next, he warped backwards, moving away from the others to a slightly higher level.

Ryu's steps were at first slow, then progressively faster as he ran up there. His fist swung. Akuma ducked, burying one of his own in Ryu's torso. Ryu fell to one knee. He looked up just in time to see another punch from Akuma as it slammed into his jaw. Ryu held his place.

"You seek the extent of your potential…" Akuma pulled back, "…and you _know _what that is…" Akuma punched Ryu again.

"…"

"But you refuse to accept it…" Akuma pulled back again, "…_Why_?" Akuma hammered Ryu again.

"…"

Ken slowly looked up.

Ryu was still on his knee, watching his blood drip to the ground.

"…No answer?" said Akuma. "It is _you_,then, who disgrace the technique. Refusing to _honor _it with the best you have to offer. Afraid to embrace the power of the dark. Afraid to try _mastering _it." Akuma pulled back.

"…" Ryu didn't move.

The voice was so cold. "Learn the error of your path the hard way, then—just as he did. Die." Akuma drove his fist forward.

…And it was blocked.

Ryu looked up.

Akuma looked shocked.

"…Akuma…" Ryu balled his free fist. "HEAA…" Ryu _drilled _his punch up into Akuma's torso.

Akuma winced in pain.

Ryu replaced his right with a hard left as he pulled himself up.

Akuma was stunned by the impact.

Finally, Ryu threw his right fist once again, slamming into his opponent's chin and this time leaping off the ground…and taking Akuma with him.

Sakura, Ken, Dan, and Sean watched as it happened.

Ryu finished spinning, landing softly. He stood calmly with his fists by his sides, facing away from the enemy.

Akuma finished falling at around the same time, hitting the ground hard.

"…" Ryu turned around. Slowly, his arms folded, he looked to the side…and the wind played with his outfit and headband.

Ken watched…a slow smile coming over his face.

Akuma coughed up blood.

"You're wrong," said Ryu, looking down below a cliff…talking down to darkness. "You were wrong on that day…and you're wrong on this one."

Akuma rolled on his side, lying there.

Standing up, Ken stopped leaning on Sakura for a moment.

Sakura turned and went to check on Dan and Sean, who were up and approaching.

"You can never fully control the dark energy," said Ryu, now looking at Akuma. "Ultimately it can only be the other way around. That's part of _why _it was forbidden."

Akuma stirred, facing away from Ryu.

"And if you don't believe that today…there'll come a day when you will. Because you'll have no choice."

"… …I was wrong," muttered Akuma.

Ryu just stared at him.

"So then…" he continued, "…let's be _done _with it." And right after that, Akuma sprung up and turned, reaching out to Ryu.

And at some point during that, Ryu reached out and caught Akuma's right arm, then his left one.

"_I _was wrong…" Akuma continued.

Light drops of rain began to fall.

"There can only be one true master…and it is not I!" said Akuma.

Ryu's eyes were suddenly fixed on the right hand reaching for him. That was the hand emanating an eerie dark glow. And slowly…Ryu became a little afraid as he realized what that was.

"…That master is you." Akuma said it calmly. There was a disturbing genuineness in his voice.

Ryu struggled against the hand, pushing it back with his left while his right kept Akuma's other one from getting an advantage.

The others began running forward.

"…_No_! Stay back!" yelled Ryu.

They slowed down.

"He's trying to transfer the dark energy into me," Ryu looked at Akuma's hand.

"I have my answer. I can have my satisfaction," said Akuma. "It is meant for you. The power is meant for the strongest. _Take it_. Take it!" Akuma spoke as though he were warning him.

Ken watched with more nervousness than ever. He began moving forward again.

"Stay back!" Ryu's head turned, locking eyes with his friend as if to confirm the seriousness of his request.

Ken slowed down again.

Ryu turned back. He wouldn't risk letting _any _of the others begin a journey down the path Akuma had taken—not for him. He would never be able to live it down. He knew that if anyone else made contact or came close, Akuma might slip or let go and easily touch one of them instead.

So he decided to let the intended target remain the only one in peril. His conscience demanded it.

The cliff was a few feet to Ryu's left. The others were yards away down the slope on his right. The weather was starting to act up a bit more now, and everyone else was wary of launching projectiles at Akuma for fear of hitting _Ryu_ and pushing him over the edge, or causing Akuma to just drag Ryu down with him if their aim _was_ right.

"Take it," said Akuma, pressing forward. "When you wake up…all of _them _will be by your bed. …And you'll find you won't need them anymore. You'll find you won't need anyone anymore. You'll find many things to be different. Everything changes when _it _is with you. _They _might be your first victims."

"…"

"You'll even hunt me down…to thank me for giving it to you."

"…"

"And _then_, in a fight to the end, we'll find out which of us is meant to be the master from that point on."

"…"

"But right now…it is you."

"…"

"Imagine the battle we'll have on _that _day—on the day when we're _both _stronger. I _know _you're tempted by that."

"…"

"But first…you have to _accept_…it…" Akuma was bringing his hand closer.

Ryu's knees began shaking. His arm did as well. The sweat on his palm and Akuma's wrist was becoming slippery.

"Why do you resist?"

The last bit of strength was slowly leaving Ryu's arm.

"I will honor the legacy right now…" Akuma grunted.

"…"

"I will _share _the power."

"…"

"…You're just like _him_."

"…"

"Why won't any of you try things _my way_?!"

Ryu knew that in a few seconds his arm would relent.

"Give me an answer…"

"…"

"Give me an answer!" The last word echoed through the canyon.

"…" Slowly, Ryu looked up. " 'Focus the mind…' "

Suddenly, Akuma's eyes widened.

" 'Cleanse the soul…' "

Akuma stopped pushing.

" 'Keep sight on my target.' "

His expression became a lot less bold.

" 'Concentrate.' "

"…"

Ryu stared at him, still clinging to his arms. "Say it with me, Akuma."

"…"

"Say it!"

Below, Ken took a few steps forward. " 'Be prepared for the unexpected.' "

Akuma looked down at him.

Sakura advanced and spoke a little louder. " 'Concentrate…mind and body as one.' "

Akuma looked out at her. " …'Achieve tranquility through movement,' " his gaze fell to the ground.

Dan spoke up, " 'Integrate spirit and flesh.' "

Sean exchanged a glace with him. " 'Channel the powers.' "

Thunder rumbled above the small crowd—the small crowd of people who were all speaking:

'Focus the mind…

Cleanse the soul…

Release that which is negative…'

" 'Separate darkness and light,' " Ryu's eyes were calm.

" 'Mind and body as one,' " Akuma spoke with him.

" 'Give birth to yourself,' " said Ken.

Almost all their voices spoke out _together_: 'Oneness, through knowledge.'

Ryu spoke lower. " 'Define your existence.' "

'Oneness, through emotions.'

He continued, " 'Create your divination.' "

'Oneness, through the heavens.'

He joined in with them all: 'From strength, learn gentleness. Through gentleness, strength will prevail.'

Thunder suddenly called out louder than it had all evening.

"…Akuma…" Ryu looked at him, speaking so quietly, yet loudly enough. "What do you see in front of your fist… …this fist that so desperately reaches for me?"

Everyone was silent.

And suddenly, one of them got an answer he had asked for, only moments ago. Suddenly, that man's expression changed from one of unusual calmness, to one of pure shock—because he indeed did see an image beyond his fist. Looking steadily into Ryu's eyes, for the first time, in a long time…Akuma truly saw himself.

"…" Defensively, Ryu pushed Akuma's arms away, flipping backwards towards the right. He landed by the slope, lost a bit of his balance, and slid down it towards the others.

Ken, Sakura, Dan, and Sean all gathered around him. Then everyone looked up again.

Akuma was wearing a far off stare. All he could think of were those tiny reflections that should have barely been visible…but were so easy to make out in that moment for some reason.

Akuma didn't really seem to be looking at anyone or anything, but there were plenty of eyes on him.

Akuma stumbled backwards.

The others became a little nervous.

Akuma stumbled back again…opening his mouth a moment, then closing it.

The thunder continued. The rain came down a little faster now.

With his arms extended sideways and the wind blowing a bit of rain on his face—just under his eyes…Akuma whispered one word: "Brother." And Akuma fell backwards, dropping from the cliff…and disappearing into the darkness.

No one moved.

No one said anything, and no one did anything. They just stood silently.

Sean glanced at Ken.

Sakura stared at the cliff, then slowly brought her gaze to the ground.

After a moment, Dan looked away.

Ryu's eyes were closed for a little while. Soon they opened again.

From behind, a faint sound broke the silence.

Ken turned.

Pretty soon the sound came again.

"…" Ken walked, coming to a stop mere moments later. While staring at it, he unzipped a small section of his backpack and produced a smaller cell phone.

"Dad!" said a voice on the other end.

"…Mel."

"Guess what?"

"What happened, pal?"

"I finished my story. I asked mom if I could call you, so she pressed the numbers for me."

"Oh yeah?"

"You want to hear it?"

"…Let me hear it, buddy."

"All right. So six fish were having a race…"

"Okay."

"There were really seven…but one of them couldn't race anymore, 'cause he was a little older than the rest. So he, he just made the rules and watched the others."

"Okay."

"One rule was, when you get to the finish line you have to stop."

"…Mm, hm."

"And there was this one fish who was ahead of all the others…"

"Yeah?"

"But when he passed the finish line, he didn't stop."

"…"

"He just kept on goin'…because he got too…happy, he could beat everybody."

"…"

"All of the other fish tried to tell him, 'Stop, stop. You're leaving our space.' They said he wasn't supposed to swim out that far."

"…"

"And he knew he wasn't supposed to, but he didn't listen to them."

"…"

"And he kept on going _so_ far out where it wasn't safe…that he got himself caught."

"…"

"And none of the others ever saw him again. But you know what? They found out that even though he had been ahead…all of them were the real winners that day."

"…"

"…Dad?"

"…"

"…Dad."

* * *

**Hours Later**

A picture that had been taken earlier—just before the rain had driven everyone away—was sitting on a mantle in the shrine that would be tended to by repairmen in the coming days.

On the back of the picture was the date. On the front was an image of five people—standing closely together: Dan, Sean, Sakura, Ken, and Ryu.


	8. KO

**K.O.**

Even the strongest woman in the world can't quite break the chain between her wrists at the moment—and she's been trying to ever since waking up a little while ago. Chun-Li's sitting on a floor somewhere. She sees next to nothing, so she figures it's the same evening as when she began losing consciousness. She feels a fresh little sting in her leg, so she figures not a whole lot of time has passed. And she _hears _a constant _ticking _somewhere in front of her, so she figures…

"…"

* * *

All the lights are off in the dojo and the whole building has settled into its usually quiet routine. Ryu is in one of the two rooms upstairs, lying on his back with closed eyes. It doesn't take long for the knocks downstairs to wake him. After a brief moment of stillness, he pulls himself up, opens the shutters, and looks down from his window. He sees someone who appears to be a soldier at the door…then his eyes move to several others who appear to be inspecting the area. Ryu begins to frown in confusion. Before going downstairs, he again reaches for his headband.

* * *

At the hotel, a shirtless Ken is in bed, lying on his stomach in a dark room. After the phone rings for a third time, he reaches over and pulls the receiver to his head. His voice is bland and his eyes are calm as a conversation begins with someone from the office. Slowly, he starts to frown a little. Moments later he turns over and sits up.

* * *

The blades of a chopper that had just landed kept spinning and spinning, producing a loud sound and powerful gusts of wind. Wearing a raincoat and a rather confused frown, Captain Guile hopped from the side of the vehicle, dropping down to his knees for a moment. While standing, he was taken on both sides by comrades and helped away from the noisy force surrounding them all.

"Is it true?" asked the captain as they walked.

"Yes, sir. Seems to be."

Guile glanced up at the night sky.

* * *

The lights in the big main room were on now. Ryu was standing by the open front door with his arms crossed.

"Did she say anything about wanting to go after them on her own?"

"No," Ryu replied.

"Maybe drop a hint or something?"

"No not at all. We didn't even talk about Shadowlaw."

"Did she seem upset to you?"

"She seemed to be in a pretty good mood actually."

The phone rang.

"Hold on," Ryu stepped away. His guest moved back outside, rejoining all the others who were still searching the area and carrying out discussions.

Several headlights and flashlights illuminated the area in front of the building.

"Seems there's been a fight out here all right…just like they told us," said one of the inspectors.

"Ryu," Ken was on the other line. "I just heard something."

"…About Chun-Li."

"…You know?"

"They're right outside now, trying to see if they can find any clues."

"I heard those two women…Juni and Juli? I heard they sent a message a little while ago, informing her people that they had her."

"I heard the same thing," Ryu was beginning to feel guilty.

"Wonder how they pulled it off."

"Apparently, from what they've told me, the two of them came _here_…and waited for Chun-Li."

"Waited? Waited when?"

"Some point after I left earlier. She stopped by just before that and we planned to meet up again later."

"Oh…so you actually saw her earlier. 'Cause they called me to ask questions just incase _I _had."

"When I got back she wasn't here, so I just figured she left since I was late."

"How did those two know to find her at your place?"

"…Her people think they've had a Monitor Cyborg somewhere out here for a few days or so. I, I'm hating myself for this."

"It's not your fault."

"But what if it is?"

"…"

"What if they want me again and they're using her."

"Ryu…"

"Or what if I had found a way to end that fight sooner and I'd made it back here on time? Or--"

"Ryu, the guy on the other line is signaling me."

"You've…got someone on another line again?"

"Yeah, see he put me on hold and then I called you. Hold on." Ken pressed something. Moments later he was speaking to his friend again.

"Ryu, I just heard that Juni and Juli just contacted them again."

"What did they say?"

"That, I don't know. The guy wouldn't tell me anything beyond that. He only got back on the line with me to say bye, actually."

"Ken, hold on." Ryu held onto the receiver as he walked over to the door. "Hey! Everyone. Excuse me," he called out to them from the porch.

All of the workers scattered about turned in his direction.

After pulling the light on, Ken sat down on his bed, listening in.

Ryu continued, "I just heard that the ones who took Chun-Li have contacted your people again."

Ken heard someone ask whom Ryu was speaking to on the phone.

"Ken Masters. That's all the information he's heard right now. Anyway I thought I'd pass it along to you." Ryu turned back towards the inside, pulling the receiver up again.

Moments later he turned around once more, noticing that everyone was getting ready to leave. He put Ken on hold again and spoke to one of the soldiers. "Can I go with you? I won't be able to go back to sleep just yet and I would _really _like to just know more about what's going on."

Ken called through the phone, "Yeah, yeah, Ryu I'll--"

"Listen, Mr.--"

"Ryu is fine."

"_Ryu_. We'll have someone call you if something happens."

Ryu sighed. "You're not taking me to the site of a mission or anything here. I'll wait in the _lobby_. But I would really like to know what's happening with this in person. You people know me. You know I'm trustworthy. That's why I was taken along for that other one…when I helped the person we're talking about here."

The soldier was quiet for a moment. "All right. You can wait around in the lobby. And then _if _someone decides to tell you something afterwards--"

"Then I'll leave."

"That's right. If you're comin' let's go." He jogged over towards the vehicles everyone was getting in.

Ryu walked back inside and got back on the phone. "Ken--"

"Ryu. You go ahead. I'm comin' in, too."

"Why?"

"I want to know about this myself. And if _I _hear anything I'll be _sure _you find out about it."

"…Thanks, Ken."

"See you there."

"Okay…"

They hung up.

For a moment, Ryu gazed at the gift he never got to give Chun-Li.

* * *

Guile was poking out of a doorway when the group from Ryu's place returned. He motioned to them. "All right, we're in a waiting phase right now. I want all of…" he paused upon noticing Ryu with them. "I want all of you to step in here with the rest of us so you can be updated on the situation."

The soldiers walked towards Guile.

"…" Ryu took a seat in the lobby.

Suddenly someone called out to him. "Hey, Ryu!"

The first sight one sees are those eyes—the disturbing look in them. He watched a handcuffed Cammy being led across the room, crossing paths with the group that had paused to let hers by. There was no beret on her head. "…"

"…Heh." A slow smirk came as she looked at him. "I _thought _that was you. Don't you recognize me? Do you _know _me? Do you know who _I _am?"

"…" Ryu slowly nodded.

Guile was watching with one hand still propped on the door behind everyone.

She continued while walking, a hint of arrogance still on her face. "You know us all, don't you? Hunter-boy. You know everyone…and everyone knows you. Like my old associates, for example. They spent a lot of time trying to find you. E-Everyone does that, right?" She began speaking quicker as her head turned to him. "Everyone comes after you. Everyone _wants _you. Wonder which one's gonna get ya!" She was around the corner and gone, continuing her path from a holding cell to her official means of confinement for the moment.

"…" Guile was staring at Ryu suddenly.

"…" Ryu nodded at him, then looked away, remembering why he had come.

"Ryu," said Guile as the soldiers stepped through the entrance he was holding open. "Come over here please."

"…" He began standing.

"Come on," Guile was waving quickly. "I want you in here before the next prisoner is transferred. C'mon."

Ryu moved over to Guile, though not particularly in a hurry, and stepped into the room.

A guard noticed Ken entering the building.

Guile glanced in his direction then looked again, realizing it was him. "What are you doin' here?"

"Hey, welcome back. I came to find out what's--"

"You get in here, too," Guile motioned for him to hurry.

"Okay," Ken stepped over there.

"I don't want him getting any ideas by seeing _you_,either."

The two men entered and the door closed behind them.

Moments later, a large group led a large man through the lobby.

"…" Sagat was quiet as he passed, suddenly feeling a bit more serious for some reason.

Ryu was leaning on one of the white walls. Ken was beside him.

Guile was standing toward the center, facing several others who were sitting at tables.

"Captain," said one of the men. "Could I ask what Cammy White is doing here? I mean, I thought…"

Guile looked up at the ceiling.

* * *

_"Taking her? Whoa, hold on, hold on," said a man from MI6._

_"I made the arrest," said Guile. "Look, the warrant your people gave me has _Sagat's _name on it—not Cammy's."_

_"Wait a minute--"_

_"That means I didn't arrest her under your government's official sanction. That means this was unexpected and on the spot. That means she's in _my _custody."_

_"Wait a minute. She's charged with crimes committed here. _We _want her."_

_"Well I'm sorry. One of your people should've spoken up a minute sooner—before _I _did."_

_"This is ridiculous. What do you want to do this for anyway?"_

_"…"_

_"You're just looking to protect her, aren't you? You know what's going to happen once we're done charging her."_

_"…"_

_"Or is it just because the victims were _Shadowlaw _and you're…don't, don't play this game with me, Guile. You know one way or another she's going to be charged here. You're just prolonging her time. You're not accomplishing anything. Just hand her over _now _so--"_

_"Fine, Ed. Fine."_

_"What?"_

_"You're right."_

_"I'm right aren't I?"_

_"You're right. So…you go ahead and start weeding through all the red tape _now _and--"_

_"Guile--"_

_"--And we both know you'll probably have her back in a few days. But _untilthen_…she's going back with me. …Sorry."_

* * *

"…And that's about it," said Guile. "Now…I don't have to tell everyone just how serious this situation is. Whether you represent Interpol, whether you came here with me, or whether you live and serve in this country doesn't matter right now—anyway you look at it, one of our own has been taken by the enemy. This was confirmed earlier via a phone call made before myself and some of you here arrived. During this call—which it appears came right after a brief physical battle between our operative and the two who've contacted us—Chun-Li's voice was heard on the line. She apparently resisted saying anything at first, but it seems her captors did something to make her shout out in pain. We assume from this…that she's sustained a minor or significant injury. Following that message, the recording was tested and it was verified that the voice was indeed Chun-Li's. The call ended there.

"Since then our people have, of course, been out checking her hotel room and the site where her captors claimed to have apprehended her. That was outside Ryu's place," he motioned towards him a moment. "Ryu was not at home when this happened. He, along with Mr. Masters, had personal business elsewhere. While searching the area, our people managed to recover Chun-Li's weapon. Three rounds have been fired from it but we don't know exactly where they went. We also don't know what became of the car our operative reportedly left work in. We _assume _that either Juni or Juli moved the vehicle out of concern that some of the equipment contained within might be used to trace Chun-Li somehow if we recovered it. From that assumption we gather that the blunt, unspecified nature of the first call was simply intended to divide out forces—sending some of our people running out looking for clues so we'd be less focused when they made their demand…which leads me to the _second _call."

"Calls," Ken cut in. "How is it Shadowlaw can just call _you _guys?"

"I don't know; they looked us up in the phone book," Guile waved him off. "Let me finish this please, 'cause what comes next is perhaps the moment a lot of people present have been waiting for…" he had turned to the crowd again, "…including me. And coincidentally—perhaps—this is also something I came across remotely over in England. What Juni and Juli want…"

The group listened closely.

"…Is a trade: Chun-Li for a file—a file containing the operational codes for the satellite ST2-250."

"…What?" a male soldier frowned a little. "The new one? That satellite they just--"

"Yes," said Guile.

Ryu spoke, "Why?"

"That's what I don't know. Now there are very few of these folders but they're marked '1731.' I'm already in the process of trying to have the one in this country—the one with possibly the least amount of security around it—relocated. _Here_. Just to be on the safe side. We can assume that _that _was it the whole time—Balrog's reason for coming out here. When he was captured…thanks to some help from Ryu over there…" Guile briefly took a giving-credit-where-credit-is-due-tone, "the original plans for his faction of Shadowlaw getting their hands on it fell apart. So Juni and Juli decided to fly out here themselves—since naturally they were elsewhere incase something went wrong—and attempt a Plan B. We're in the middle of that right now."

"So what are we going to do?" asked another male soldier.

"…Right _after_ I made a call requesting that Shadowlaw's target be moved over here for better security, I phoned our respective superiors out of town and informed them of the situation. They're discussing things with Japan's government as we speak."

"Discussing what?" he continued. "Whether or not one operative is worth…a satellite?"

Everyone was quiet.

Ken spoke again, "What about a rescue mission?"

Guile turned to him.

"I mean, if they're really on their last leg here…if they're really getting weak—and I know for a _fact_…that they are…"

Guile was staring.

"Man, don't look at me like that," Ken mumbled. "All I'm saying is, if they're so weak that they have to go around recruiting help just to come here and attack, or, or sneak into a place with _low _security…or whatever they were planning there…and when that doesn't work out they have to try using _leverage _to get what they want…then maybe they're not gonna put up much offense if you strike where they're keeping Chun-Li."

"If we knew where that _was_, Ken…" said Guile.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Right now I can't strike it anyway without permission from--" The phone rang. "…Our superiors."

Several chairs scooted and several people stood.

Ryu uncrossed his arms.

Guile stepped over to the central table, motioned for everyone to stay quiet, and pressed a button on a speakerphone. "Hello."

"While you're in there discussing your options and trying to figure out how you might defy us…" said a feminine voice.

"…You might want to know that Chun-Li isn't exactly alone," said a voice that sounded like the other. "We left her with a device that's set to explode rather shortly."

"Hold on…" said Guile. "You haven't told us where to find you and--"

"No, because we didn't want you to try striking the place while you waited for permission to make the trade."

Guile frowned angrily. "…And, as I was just about to say, we still don't have the permit. We're waiting for it. What's--"

The other voice interrupted him, "One might think that you're not _going _to get it."

"No, wait," said Guile. "We've just about got it."

"No, you're just saying that to keep Chun-Li alive."

Ryu frowned boldly as well. He quietly walked towards the phone.

"I said I'll get it," Guile spoke firmly. "What's this about an explosive? You gotta get rid of that if we're going to do this. I _really _do not like the sound of that."

Ken had walked with Ryu. Suddenly Ryu leaned towards him and whispered something.

"…Then you'd best hope your people choose to cooperate," said one of the two women.

Guile continued, "What is it you want with this anyway?"

"Don't try to keep us on the phone. Don't try to be clever. If your people have not reached their decision by our next call--"

The door slammed shut suddenly, making a loud sound.

Almost everyone in the room turned…and saw that Ryu had done it.

"Captain!" said Ken. "They're on the line for you now."

Guile frowned in confusion and annoyance. Then he flinched a little, turned around, and saw Ryu nodding at him while still holding the doorknob, making repeated gestures with his other hand.

"…I…" said Guile, "…Tell 'em I'll, _call 'em back_."

"No _he said_, ah…excuse me…_sir_, he said to come immediately," replied Ken with an assuring nod.

"Fine," said Guile.

"Who's that?" asked one of the voices. "Who are you talking about? If it's your superiors, Guile, I'd suggest you take the call. I'd suggest you take it _now_."

"Look just shut up and hold on!" he barked into the speaker.

Ryu stepped away from the door as Guile approached, looking at the other man seriously.

Staying in the room, Guile opened the door…then let it slam shut again. He motioned once more for everyone to stay quiet.

A smile was on Ken's face, much like the one he had displayed when watching the scene with Vega that day at the hotel.

After about a minute, Guile opened and shut the door again. "Are they still there?" he called out, motioning beforehand for everyone to refrain from responding. It _had _actually remained quiet the whole time after all. "Juni! Juli!"

"We're _here_,captain."

"…Don't think this is the end of it…but you're going to get what you want. Your request is granted."

"I _warn _you, captain…if you're not--"

"YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED!" He slammed the table. "Now tell me where Chun-Li is and get her out of danger!"

"Oh no…we don't quite have what we want _just yet_. We tell you where she is after you make the delivery. And it's going to be in person--"

The other spoke, "So we'll be able to use you like we're using her, just incase you get any _ideas_."

"…Heh," Guile stood up straight. "Fine. Tell me where. …Tell me where!"

"The warehouse."

The other voice continued, "The one linked to our competitor's operations. The one you busted that night they were trying to take their supplies and run. Since they knew you were coming."

Ryu and Ken naturally thought back to that night.

One of the girls spoke, "Meet us on top of it. That way we can get a good view and we'll know if you're setting us up."

The other continued, "Don't bring any weapons, don't bring any backup troops, don't bring any hidden plans. If you betray us, Chun-Li--"

Guile cut in, "Fine. And while we're all making threats let's try this one: If this is some kind of setup on _your _part, and you betray _us_, whenever my people find you, I promise the charges--"

"We don't wantyour lives. All we want is the file. We won't bring any weapons either. …We won't _need_ to."

"…Disarm that device you say is with Chun-Li," said Guile. "I'm comin' to meet you right now, just disarm the device."

"You've got about 50 minutes, captain," said one voice.

"We'll be waiting."

A click followed.

The room was quiet.

Someone knocked from outside. "Captain, Sagat and Cammy are arguing a lot. I think their cells are too close."

"…I'll deal with that later."

"Captain, what are we going to do about Chun-Li?" asked a soldier, moments afterward.

Guile stood silently in the middle of everyone.

Another spoke, "You said that you asked for the file to be delivered here, right?"

Someone else spoke up, "Yeah, but even if it gets here in time, we still don't have permission to hand it over to them."

The voices continued. "Or permission to make an attack."

"Well it's one or the other, right?"

Guile sent someone outside.

"We can't just give in to…"

"This is a person's life we're talking about."

The words rang in Ryu's head. Quietly, he leaned in a corner.

* * *

_"What channel are you watching?" asked Chun-Li over the phone._

_"…The same one," he replied._

_"Yeah…yeah it does sound like we're watching the same thing."_

_"…"_

_"Ooh…now what are they advertising that for during a show like this? There aren't any kids up now. At least I don't think so."_

_"They probably just want to get the parents interested early…with the holidays coming up in a few months and all."_

_"Yeah. I had a teddy like that when I was a little girl."_

_"Really?"_

_"Mm hmm."_

_"I just…didn't imagine you as the type," said Ryu._

_She giggled under her breath._

_"I had one, too. But I lost it."_

_"Oh?"_

_"…You're probably going to laugh, but sometimes I think about buying one now. I mean, just one."_

_Chun-Li was quiet._

_"Sometimes it feels like, you know it'd be nice to just hug something."_

_"…"_

_"That's probably just the fighter in me when I think that, wanting to get out some aggression."_

_"Right, _or_, maybe you just want to hug something. It can't always be about fighting, right?"_

_"…Well I don't know."_

_"…" She started to smile._

_"…"_

_"Hey, I'm reading the guide here," she was still grinning with her usual hint of confidence. "Looks like it's going to be a boring night. Well…maybe not."_

_Ryu had sipped some tea. "Why, what's coming on?"_

_"Just mature movies about violence and…that other stuff."_

_"…That other--oh."_

_"…" Chun-Li chuckled quietly._

_Ryu looked down. "I might watch one."_

_"Really? Well I…'didn't imagine you as the type,' " she grinned. "To like, well…" she whispered, " 'sexy' movies."_

_"I'm not," he sounded a bit more serious. "I haven't seen anything…sexy in a long while."_

_She was looking forward. "…You should come over here sometime."_

_"Sorry, what did you say?"_

_"Nothing."_

* * *

__Amongst a bit more chatter, he was snapped out of his memory by the sound of Guile's voice.

"Ryu…that was a good idea right there. Thanks."

He nodded.

Guile turned, "Ken…"

Ken nodded as well.

The captain faced everyone else. "I've gotta go now, and I've gotta go alone."

"Captain, some of us want to go with you."

"…No. You heard their terms. And since this isn't an official mission just yet, I can't bring any of you into danger. Even if you volunteered you'd probably get yourselves in trouble. So this is simply an _independent _decision on my part."

The woman Guile had sent out returned soon…and handed him a briefcase.

"And you're really not gonna take any firearms?" asked someone while Guile was opening the case.

The captain spoke while closing it, "If we're right and they spotted her by using a cyborg—one of those advanced ones—then if they have one on site it'll be able to detect a gun on me. So…"

After a moment, he stood still with the case in one hand, looking around the room.

Everyone stared back.

"If anything…_happens_, with this…" said Guile, "…it's been nice working with all of you." He ran his free hand through his hair and began walking towards the door.

A moment of silence passed.

Guile suddenly felt a hand on his left shoulder. He turned.

Ken spoke, "If I heard them right, they said not to bring any backup troops along."

Guile stared a few seconds, "So?"

"So…_don't_."

* * *

On the roof of the warehouse that was no longer used in exactly the same way anymore, Juli and Juni sat with their backs to an elevator, looking at the stars. One was holding a cell phone. The other was holding something else. Both heard something coming and turned their attention towards it.

A chopper finally flew into full sight, coming to a pause not _too _far above the roof.

Moments later, a black line with a large knot near the bottom fell from it.

Both women moved forward, watching with the usual stoic expressions.

Within seconds, _another _line dropped from the sky.

Both women suddenly frowned a bit.

Firmly hooked to one of those ropes dangling from the chopper, Ken bravely dived forward with open arms, as though jumping with a parachute.

Almost simultaneously, a similarly outfitted Guile, cloaked by his raincoat, flipped out of the chopper as well, as though doing a reversed version of one of his famous moves.

Everything about _this_ moment was reminding Guile of his _first_ meeting with Chun-Li—his descent from the skies; the music that could be heard then on a nearby radio; the wind brushing over him.

"…" Guile casually stopped the freefall by grabbing onto the rope with one hand.

Ken did the same, tightening his respective grips in _both _hands.

They eased down slowly the rest of the way, landing on the roof soon afterwards.

Guile removed the hook and the special garb that was attached to it, pushing the rope aside and eyeing the two women.

Being unused to this, it took Ken a few seconds longer, but he eventually unhooked and did the same.

Guile looked up and waved.

The chopper flew off and the building became a quiet place again.

Juni and Juli stood side by side.

Across the roof, Guile faced them with his usual look. Ken stood a few feet behind him on the right, still in his hooded sweatshirt.

Juli spoke, "We warned you not to bring anyone else."

A breeze lifted his coat a moment. "You said not to bring any soldiers," Guile countered. "I'm sure you know he isn't one."

Juni extended her right arm, "The file."

Ken was holding the briefcase. He didn't move.

"Give it to us now, Guile."

Both men stayed still.

Juli raised a hand, displaying something.

Guile's eyebrows lowered suddenly.

It was a small rectangle with a button around the center. "See this?" she said. "When I press this, the explosive goes off ahead of schedule. From where it's been positioned, the resulting force will be more than enough to finish Chun-Li."

Guile had been afraid of something like this.

"Give us, the file," said Juli.

Guile didn't turn, "Ken…"

Ken took the few steps up to Guile and placed the case in his hand.

Guile lowered his arm, then paused again, staring resentfully at both women.

They didn't care.

Ken spoke up, "Give it to 'em."

Guile's eyes looked to the side a moment but he still didn't turn.

"I thought there was something I could do, but now that they have _that_…"

"I _know_, what I'm doing," said Guile.

"Give it to 'em!"

"Shut up, Ken."

"They're gonna blow her up!"

"Ken, I said to shut your mouth," Guile had turned around a moment, then faced the women again. "They're not gonna do anything that'll cost 'em what they want. _Are you_?"

Juli spoke, "The _file_, Guile," she raised the remote again.

His gaze went from it to her.

There was silence.

"…Give, it, to, 'em," said Ken.

Juli paused…quietly lowering the remote.

The captain's eyes were closed.

Ken was watching him nervously.

He opened his eyes…and after a few seconds, leaned and tossed the case across the ceiling with an angry look.

It slid…until being stepped on by Juni.

Guile and Ken looked a tad on edge suddenly.

The girls stared at them.

The guys didn't do or say anything.

Juni bent down and picked up the case. "Keep your eyes on them."

Guile looked very uneasy.

Juni opened it…then dropped it in shock as her eyes began to widen. She shoved Juli with one hand while trying to move in the other direction at the same time. "WATCH--"

The explosion came—a small one from the device that had been placed in the briefcase. There was no file to be found.

Juni and Juli were immediately thrown down, affected more by the force than injured by the blast. While this happened, the remote slipped out of Juli's hand and slid a few feet away.

And while that happened, Ken and Guile had stopped _acting_, stopped _counting_, stopped worrying about their own safety, and started running towards the two women.

The enhanced soldier called Juli began recovering and started to reach for the remote.

It was Ken who got to it first, though, kicking it away with a desperate look, and watching as it slid much farther this time.

The device stopped in a corner by the elevator.

Ken was running for it again when he felt her hand grasp his ankle, causing him to stumble a bit.

Shortly afterwards, Guile had stepped by him and the pairs had suddenly switched sides on the roof.

Just as Juni lunged forth, Ken watched from behind as Captain Guile, still in the raincoat, flipped backwards with one leg extended, producing a kick that seemed to flash for a second.

Juni was thrown again, landing by her partner.

Guile landed as well, not looking sorry at all.

Both Juni and Juli were standing now, facing the ones who stood between them and their distant means of payback. Both raised their arms.

Once again, Ken reached down and pulled the sweatshirt up over his head, feeling the wind on his chest.

There was just one preparation left now.

After freeing his arms from the raincoat, Guile turned and, in one grand, spinning motion, the veil was gone, revealing the battle-ready body of a fighter in green.

* * *

Ryu heard his cue. Had he moved a little slower he might have missed it, but since dropping from the helicopter—which hadn't gone nearly as far as Juli and Juni might've thought—and being wished well by the pilot, he had been making his way back to the warehouse with as much speed as he could muster. The backup plan rested solely on him: once the explosion on the roof went off, and only then, it was his role to move quickly and sneak into the building. If his and Guile's suspicions were _correct_, then it would certainly be a very dangerous job. But that was a risk Ryu was willing to take.

Arriving on site, he made his way across a wide area, staring at an opening that seemed to have been made by force. Lifting up a police line, he entered the building—once again. Cautiously, he turned on the flashlight and took a few slow steps around the crates. His pace quickened as he heard something very close by. It sounded like a ticking.

* * *

"Where are you moving me?" asked Sagat in a calm, serious tone. He was being led down the hall in handcuffs with less than the usual amount of security.

"Someplace where we won't have to hear you and that woman fighting," said an acting warden, referring to Cammy. "We've got another set of cells across the building that just got emptied. We only wanted to give you both more privacy before for your own protection—considering your fame and all. But since you can't seem to stop calling out those threats…"

They were all crossing the lobby now. Sagat could overhear the guard and a few others accepting a delivery.

"And this is _it_? This is the file?" asked one. "What Shadowlaw is after?"

"Satellite ST2-250," was the reply.

Sagat had been hearing that name a lot recently.

"The captain wanted the codes here for better security. He got his way on that--"

"What about permission to hand it over to them? What about the issue with Chun-Li and Juli and Juni?"

"Now, I was instructed to tell you that this is _not _a permit for that course of action. That whole issue is still being debated. They just agree that it would be best to hold the file here until further notice."

* * *

"Chun-Li?" he spoke into the darkness.

"Yeah? Who's there?" she began trying to look around as best she could. "Is it--" Some light came over her.

He saw her face, then revealed the tense look on his.

"Ryu?"

* * *

Ken threw a _hadouken_.

Juli skipped and spun around it, swinging her knuckles out and stunning her opponent.

Juni propelled herself just above the ceiling, twirling forward like a drill.

Guile hopped over her and looked over his shoulder. "Please…you'll have to be a little faster than that."

* * *

She was sitting at the bottom of a pillar extending to the roof, her hands bound around it from behind.

"I've…never seen a chain quite like this," he said. "This is a very strong alloy. Maybe the strongest."

"Never mind that, I want to know just where the ticking is coming from."

Ryu stood and swung the flashlight forward. He saw what wasn't an unusual sight in this warehouse. Before him was a mass of boxes that stood a little higher than his head. There were four stacks, each three boxes high, all bound closely together by wrap after wrap of a wide, clear tape. Even more noteworthy were the markings on each box.

Chun-Li recognized those as a front for something else. "TNT," she whispered. "There are explosives in some of those boxes. We were…we were supposed to have cleared all of those ones out of here by now."

The ticking continued.

"So the bomb is in one of them?" asked a growingly nervous Ryu.

"No, it shouldn't be…but it sounds like it _is _coming from there."

A moment later, Ryu had made it to the top of the piles.

That ticking wouldn't stop.

He saw that some tape covered the boxes from above as well, then looked at the center, noticing there was a small gap between the four stacks. Upon closer examination he saw that that was where the sound came from.

"There's something down here…in this gap between them. It's not too big, but…"

"Can you reach it?"

He was trying. "…No. It's caught around halfway down."

"_That_ must be the bomb," Chun-Li began figuring it out. "Of course. They dropped it in with that pile. It probably doesn't pack much power but when it goes off it'll trigger all the other explosives in that bunch. That's why they decided to use this place. 'Cause they were looking for something like that."

Ryu hopped down. He began trying something else.

Chun-Li watched.

"…I can't tear through this tape."

"Warehouse material," she sighed.

"…I could try blasting through it with my _hadouken_…but that might set off the explosion."

"No…you shouldn't do that."

Ryu stood, looking at the pile.

The ticking continued.

Ryu spoke again, "My last option is to try moving this thing."

"Can you?"

He began pushing on it. "…Yes," he said quietly. The mass began yielding to his strength, inching forward on the flat cart. He stopped and picked up the light. "…"

Chun-Li was watching. Then she realized what he saw.

Ryu's heart sank. He had hoped against this but a good look to the right made the truth painfully obvious.

Chun-Li's expression became calmer. She seemed to suddenly stop looking for solutions.

Both could see that there wasn't enough room to fit the mass through the passage that had led Ryu there. Nor was there enough in the direction leading to the door in the back.

Ryu sighed. Slowly, he turned and looked at Chun-Li. "There's…what should I do?"

She stared at him.

"…Chun-Li…"

She began smiling a little.

The ticking wouldn't go away.

"…Chun-Li," he whispered.

The smile just sat there.

* * *

Ken was in the middle of a hurricane kick.

Juli ducked, then launched diagonally with a kick of her own.

Ken was hit from behind and fell on his stomach.

* * *

Chun-Li was speaking softly. "This is why…this is why they really did all this. Putting me here; asking Guile to meet them at this location…"

Ryu had walked over and stood before her.

"I think it was all just a trap—intended for Guile and me. They weren't ever going to hand me over to him. They just wanted to take us both out after they got the file you mentioned." She looked up. "But they didn't think anyone would be with him. And even if that _was _the case…well, we can see they took some measures to keep anyone from interfering with the explosion."

"…"

"That's why they put me in _this _spot, and not somewhere else in here. So convenient with that stack sitting right over there. They're cleverer than I thought."

Ryu looked at the floor, holding the light in his right hand.

The ticking continued.

Chun-Li looked down a moment as well. "I wanted to help protect the world from people like them."

"You've done that." Ryu knelt before her.

She started grinning at the floor.

"…"

"…Yeah," she said. "…And now I'm finished doing it."

The ticking seemed so clear at the moment.

Ryu looked to the side.

"…I like to think my dad would've been proud," said a woman named Chun-Li.

A man named Ryu looked at her, "Chun-Li…I think he would've been _very _proud of you."

She stared at him with her grin. "You know, that's what _everyone _always tells me."

"…"

"I never started believing it until just now."

The time limit Juni and Juli had set was nearly up.

"Ryu…I want you to leave now."

His expression changed from controlled sadness to worry. Slowly, he shook his head.

"No, no _listen to me_. I'm not going any further. This is it…the knockdown I don't get up from. I know because the only things going through my head right now are three thoughts: My father, my career…"

"…"

"And my friend," said Chun-Li, looking straight at him.

He didn't know what to say, do, or feel.

"I was talking to Guile about it a little while ago; about how there's a difference between associates you're close to…and friends."

"…"

"And I know right now that you're a friend of mine…and I'm always going to know that." A tear rolled down her cheek. "And I'm going to start crying now, and I don't want you to see it," Chun-Li sniffed with a smile, looking away. "Doesn't fit my persona."

Ryu began grinning a little sadly.

"I don't want you to die like this," she looked up at him again. "Keep going…keep representing what I can't inside."

"Chun-Li."

"_What_?" she sniffed again, looking away.

"…I'm not going to leave," said Ryu with the usual calm resolve.

"Yes you are. Go."

"No."

The ticking would soon stop.

She tried moving towards him, as though she wanted to push him away.

Ryu didn't say anything.

She looked off and spoke, "You know how much I've wanted to touch you?"

"…You…you did. Sort of. That night in here when you saved me."

"Right--"

"I never got around to saying thank you, so…Thank you."

"Right, but, I don't mean something like that. I mean _really_. And now when I want to more than ever…" she turned to him and smiled again, "I can't."

Ryu grinned, looking into his friend's eyes.

She returned the stare, not saying a word.

Never one to give up, Ryu stood, turned around, and began walking towards the pile.

"…" Chun-Li looked at the floor.

Ryu walked around it, intending to look it over again on all sides. That was when he noticed something the flashlight had briefly shone on.

* * *

It was just a few minutes later that Guile and Juni had suddenly paused—locked in a face to face standstill with their hands clenched, each pressing forward with all the strength that could be mustered at the moment.

A little sweat ran down his face. "Where's Chun-Li?"

"Oh…that's right. Let's not forget her." The enhanced soldier struggled against the strong man's grip.

"Is she _here_? Is she downstairs?"

"…"

"You know why I used that little explosive surprise?" He was pushing her back. "…I figured I'd use the suffering you were in once it hit…to make you tell me where she is."

Juni's teeth were gritted as she began losing.

"I want to know where she is and I want to know now!"

"You…should've…brought, the, _file_ then."

"I couldn't get it in time."

"Well that's a pity…since the limit's almost up."

Guile began putting great pressure on her hands.

"ARRGH!" Juni drew back a little and swung her leg into Guile's midsection.

"…" Guile winced, not showing much pain….then tightened his grip again and slung her overhead in the other direction.

Juni hit the roof a moment later, lying still.

"You Shadowlaw terrorists are miserable people," he said it with disgust. "Shadowlaw's old news. Haven't you heard?" he turned around.

Ken's sidekick slammed into Juli, causing her to stumble a few steps until her back hit something.

Both stood, facing each other and panting.

Ken turned to a sideways stance then noticed something from the corner of his eye. "…Guile! Watch out, man!"

"Huh?" The captain was turning, and finished just in time to see an airborne, unrelenting Juni leaping at him. He threw his arms up as her legs grabbed his neck, and a second later he felt himself tossed in the other direction himself. He landed with a hard thud as she brought her weight down along with him.

Ken heard a growlingly loud battle cry and turned, feeling the impact of a hard flying kick from Juli right away.

Juni got up and ran.

Ken dropped and rolled a little in defense, still feeling the effects of his fight from earlier while holding the spot where he'd just been hit.

Juli turned and ran off as well. Not too long afterwards she reached the little remote and picked it up.

Ken and Guile were still grounded as they pulled their heads up.

After she was sure they were watching, Juli stood by her partner, wearing a stoic look once again. She wiped some of the dark brown hair from her sweaty forehead. And then she spoke. "Shadowlaw is old news?"

Guile was getting up with an angry look.

"Afraid not, captain. But in just a second you'll get a _clue _as to who is."

Ken reached forward futilely.

And Juli pressed the button.

BOOM

The explosion placed at the center of so much other explosive material went off, triggering several other explosions that combined into one large blast…a blast that ripped through the doors of the freight elevator Juli and Juni were standing right in front of.

There were a few things neither of the two women had known that night. Neither had known that before coming, Guile and Ryu had anticipated the possibility of their actually holding Chun-Li in the place where they'd called for the ransom to be delivered. Neither had known that Ryu had also come in the chopper Guile and Ken had descended from. Neither had known that Ryu had sneaked in the warehouse, and, at nearly the last minute, discovered just how the big pile the women had spotted and used to their advantage had been placed in there to begin with—from the roof via the elevator. Neither had known that Ryu had pushed it back on the elevator and closed the door, all with a faint hope that it'd provide Chun-Li and himself some protection. And finally, neither had known that when Juli had stumbled backwards a minute ago, what she'd bumped into was a button that brought the elevator to the roof. So triggering the explosion while standing over there was not a good idea.

Neither of them had known all of this…but they began to find out that last one, however. They began to find out in a big, loud, painful way.

"…" Ken lowered his arms from around his head.

Guile did the same.

Both were standing.

Juni and Juli were lying silently facedown, neither moving.

The flames behind them danced away.

Ken was silent.

Guile was, too.

"Guile," Ken pointed down below.

Guile turned, and saw Ryu down by the entrance.

"Are you two okay?" he called nervously.

"…We're fine," Guile managed. "What about Chun-Li?"

"She's in there. She's all right but I can't move her. There's a chain. One of her legs is a little hurt, too."

Ken looked back over at the women.

Guile slowly pulled a cell phone from his fallen coat. He dialed. He waited. "…Yeah this is Captain Guile. I'm on site at the warehouse. I'm going to need that chopper back here now and I'm going to need a couple ambulances. Also, now that the mission's _over_, dispatch some armed escorts and have some chain-cutting equipment sent as well." He paused. "Thank you." He hung up, letting the phone drop by his waist as his head turned towards the flames.

Within the hour, Juni and Juli, still unconscious, were being taken to a hospital, accompanied by the escorts Guile had requested for the ride.

Chun-Li had been freed and was on her way to the hospital as well, via a separate ambulance, to have her injured leg treated.

Everyone on the roof had been brought down via the chopper, which was currently grounded and waiting for Guile, Ryu, and Ken, who stood for a moment by the area in front of the building.

"So that's what happened, huh?" said Ken. "I guess they couldn't hear that ticking through the elevator door."

"Guess not," said Ryu. "I didn't know it'd go up there or anything. I just…needed to get it away from her."

"That was good thinking," said Guile. "Listen…thank you both. I really, _really _appreciate what you did here."

"Of course," said Ken.

"Kind of crazy," said Guile. "Chun-Li's overdue for a leave, and now this forces her to possibly take it."

Ken stretched, swinging his sweatshirt a little. "Man…what a day."

Ryu was looking forward.

Ken continued, "Heh, guess we sort of honored both our legacies."

"…Both?" said Guile.

"Yeah, well, our own personal one…and this one."

"What do you mean by 'this one'?" asked Guile.

"C'mon, G. You know what I mean. Ryu knows it, too. He's just doin' the quiet thing over there."

Ryu wouldn't say anything. He seemed to grin just a little but wouldn't look back at Ken.

"Our involvement in these affairs here," said Ken. "You _still_ think it's something that was…'never supposed to be,' or whatever?"

"…Well regardless of any of that…we won't have to worry about it from now on."

"Hm?"

"…Don't realize it, do you?" asked the captain. "It's just like I was saying on the roof."

"What?" asked Ken, swinging his shirt.

Guile looked to the sky. "This is…this was it, guys."

Ryu kept looking ahead.

"My people have nailed both factions of Shadowlaw—we've captured Vega and Sagat…and with some help from you we got the other side as well."

Ken and Ryu didn't say anything.

"Oh, there'll probably still be some resistance from the remaining soldiers of the _former _who are scattered out there…but they're not gonna last too long without the leadership we're taken from them."

There was silence.

"So, essentially…" Guile looked ahead again, "it's over. Starting now. You could say we've just scored the K.O. Finally."

"…Hm," said Ken. He smiled a little once more.

Ryu crossed his arms and looked to the side.

"Today…today's the day," said Guile quietly. "Funny…a little while ago Cammy was going on about something like that."

For a while, nothing more was said. Then the three men—the three fighters—walked to the chopper that would take them away.

What Guile didn't seem to remember was how during the moment she'd said that, Cammy had been wrong.

****


	9. Ending a Story

**

* * *

Ending a Story**

The sky was a clear blue. A perfectly warm blanket of sunlight spread across the area. Everything at Ryu's dojo was quiet.

…Until an alarm clock went off upstairs.

His arms emerged from under the blanket, stretching for a few seconds, before pulling it away. With a brief yawn and sleepy eyes, the warrior sat up, reached to the side, and turned the noise off. After a moment, he simply nodded his head, giving it a little more rest. His short brown hair swayed freely, hiding his eyes a bit, as he was wearing no headband, or shirt for that matter.

After a few more seconds he pulled the rest of the covers away, got up, and opened the window. He stood before it for a moment, as he usually did, before walking over to the door, sliding it open, and exiting. He had slept in the room by the stairs, not the one on the other end above the building's entrance, so it wasn't long before he was downstairs and heading to the bathroom. Pretty soon he was showering, and, as was normal, using the moment to think about what had been going on lately, what was coming up in the near future, and certain little things he wasn't quite sure of—such as why Guile had invited him in today.

* * *

A duffle bag was at the foot of the bed. The door was open. Ken was right outside the room, holding a cell phone as he peered down from a balcony at the busy floor below. "I'm sort of gonna miss this hotel," he said with a smile. 

"…"

"But not as much as I've missed you two."

Eliza spoke, "So the flight's not till 7:30, you say?"

"Mm hmm. At night."

"I know it's at night."

"Over _here_, not there."

"I _know _it's over here and not there…I mean _there _and not here. See, one thing I haven't missed is you making sure I'm sure about everything I say."

Ken giggled.

"How's Ryu?"

"He's fine. I've got enough time to see him before I leave."

"So you're sure this thing isn't going to be a problem? The whole service thing I mean."

"Oh…yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. I trust Guile. I told you it was pretty simple. With Shadowlaw going down and the mission here accomplished, there's no reason for me to still be doing this. Of course, according to the contract I still _should _be, but he said he's just going to try getting the rest of the time turned into probation."

"That's _very _nice of him."

"Yeah. I'm not the only one he's tried helping lately. You know, on the surface he's as tough as they come, but underneath…it's like what he's got underneath is--"

"Just as strong as what's on the surface."

"Right. And he's also in a good mood about this thing with Shadowlaw. It's like the end of a long story is _finally _playing out and—what do you know—our side gets to write the last words."

"…"

"…So…"

"…"

"…"

"I'm glad you're okay, Ken."

"Me too."

"I'm glad you're coming home."

"Me too. I mean it was nice seeing Ryu, but…he's okay here. He's got Sakura to turn to whenever he gets lonely."

"…The one you two met on-and-off during your training?"

"Right. All grown up now. Well, just about anyway."

After a little while, Ken hung up, planning to call back before leaving. Then he went in the room, closed the door, and plopped down on the bed.

* * *

Following about two hours of sleep, Chun-Li stirred just a bit. Then her eyes slowly opened and she realized where she was. The hospital. Still. She sighed…then smiled, knowing once again, as she had all night, that this was the day she'd be released. 

She pulled herself up a little, stretched, and yawned.

* * *

The headband was there but the bag had been left at home. As a large room of soldiers and others noticed this about the man named Ryu…a slow applause began, which grew into a faster and louder one as others noticed and contributed. 

Ryu wasn't sure what was going on. He watched with a look of humble confusion.

"You wear a gi almost everywhere, don't you?" asked one with a grin as the noise was quieting. "I'll bet when he comes down here to go to the market, he's wearing that."

A few laughs followed.

"Actually, no," said Ryu.

"He is who he is," said another soldier as he appeared. This soldier was Captain Guile. "Thanks for coming."

Ryu nodded and gave everyone a polite wave. "I…" he was speaking a little quieter as Guile approached, "I thought the hearing wasn't till tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Guile frowned a moment. "But I wanted to make sure you got this before then." He lifted something. "This is a card from all of us here. Not all of us could fit our names on it, but this is a card from everyone saying a big thank-you for what you did at the warehouse."

"Oh…" Ryu looked at the ones behind Guile again.

"Before you ask—yes we gave Ken one already."

"That's nice. _This_, this is very nice. Thanks, everyone." Ryu held the card, looking it over.

"I went to the hospital to get Chun-Li's signature as well," Guile pointed it and the accompanying message out. "She says she knows you're not coming to see her, so she really wanted to sign it."

"I…" Ryu grinned, looking elsewhere on the card.

"Can I talk to you in the hall for a moment?" asked Guile.

They stepped outside.

Guile continued. "I also wanted to tell you—incase you didn't know—that Ken's going to be leaving. Today."

"What? Really?"

"If you wanted to see him, you should probably do it before 5. Anyway, I gotta pick Chun-Li up, and I'll see you back here to--"

A call came from the side, "Captain, they just called and said it's on its way."

"How long till he gets here?"

"Sorry, I wasn't told, sir."

"Who?" asked Ryu.

"The vehicle that's going to transport Sagat now that a trial date's been set," said Guile.

"Oh. So he's leaving."

"Yeah. Someplace bigger and better. They're not gonna hold a guy like him around this place until trial."

Ryu looked off.

"They're gonna need my signature," said Guile, looking off as well. "And now that I don't know when they'll show up…I've just gotta stick around till they do."

"Ah, well that's…" Ryu trailed off.

"Hm?"

He was looking at the floor. "…That's…what I was about to ask you about."

"Sagat?"

"No. I mean if you were going to pick up Chun-Li…"

"…"

"Well could I do it?" he looked up.

Guile's eyebrows flinched a little. His look was still calm.

"I mean I could take the bus, or…"

"You want to pick her up from the hospital?"

"If it's not going to be a problem. If it is--"

"Well I…sure. Okay."

"All right."

"And um…" He snapped suddenly. "You don't need to take the bus if you don't want to." He walked up to the front desk and, moments later, handed Ryu a set of keys. "We found her car. Gave it a thorough inspection and…nothing's wrong with it. It'll still run safely."

"Oh. All right."

"You have a license?"

"…Got one a few years ago," he was reaching into a pocket.

"So you brought it with you, huh?" Guile placed his hands on his hips.

"I…" Ryu chuckled uncomfortably, putting it away.

Guile grinned, then gave Ryu a quick pat on his back before passing. "Thanks."

"Okay."

"Hey…" Guile turned, pointing.

Ryu froze.

"You know which car it is?"

"Yeah I remember," he let out a quick breath.

"All right then."

Both began walking off.

The phone at the desk rang.

Before the receptionist could answer it, Guile held a hand out. "Relax. You're working so hard."

The woman grinned and chuckled.

Guile picked it up, "_Hello_."

"Hey, Guile it's me. Have you heard from--"

"Ken. That friend you didn't want to wake up too early was just here. I told him what I told you a few hours ago: today you're headin' home."

"Thanks. Guile, you're the man."

"I try to be." He hung up.

* * *

Chun-Li was being brought to the lobby in a wheelchair. She was now fully dressed. "What about Juni and Juli?" she didn't really seem to care. 

"When they came to, their minds seemed to have suffered some damage. Neither remembered much." She paused. "It's kind of sad that they'll probably still have charges waiting when they recover."

"…So is the captain still in a good mood?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, it's not the captain who's come this time," replied the woman pushing her.

"What? Who'd they say they w--" she stopped upon entering the room.

Standing by the desk, Ryu turned at the sound of her voice.

Chun-Li started to smile.

The woman pushing her whispered, "It's this handsome gentleman."

Chun-Li held her gaze on him.

"And look at that outfit," the woman spoke up. "He's so cool."

"Isn't he?" said Chun-Li as she came to a stop.

The supposed compliments caused Ryu's eyes to look elsewhere for a moment.

"Easy now," said the nurse as Chun-Li began standing.

He looked again upon feeling a hand touch the back of his neck.

Wearing that confident smile, Chun-Li drew Ryu closer and pressed the right side of her face against his, holding him cheek to cheek.

The woman who had pushed Chun-Li exchanged a glance with the one at the desk as they watched.

After moving from that position, Chun-Li wrapped her arm around Ryu and leaned towards him for support, turning back to the nurse.

"So, does she need to take anything with her?" Ryu's face had turned a bit red. "Crutches, or…"

"No those won't be necessary," the woman replied. "But combat's a no-no. She should stay away from work for a few days to a week." She was looking at Chun-Li now. "All she really needs is to get home and stay off that leg as much as possible."

Chun-Li rolled her eyes playfully, still feeling a significant annoyance where she'd been injured. She looked at the floor and stayed quiet.

* * *

The car pulled up in front of the dojo, and was turned off soon afterwards. 

About five minutes later, Chun-Li was leaning against one of the long walls inside, propping a hand against it while looking down.

Ryu approached again. "…Let me know if this is too…personal."

She looked up to see what he was talking about.

"I bought this for you. The other day." He held out a nice-looking kimono.

Chun-Li's mouth opened a little. "…Oh…"

"It's, purple, but…"

"Yes I can see that it's purple," she grinned.

"I mean I know blue's the color you favor."

She reached out and gave Ryu a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She was facing him again and eyeing the kimono. "You mind if I put it on now?"

"…It's up to you."

Ten minutes later Chun-Li was alone in the big central room, sitting on the stairs. The top of her kimono covered her chest and biceps while the bottom reached to her knees, leaving the rest of her arms and legs bare. Her hair was up once again. She looked a little sad as she sat there, staring at nothing in particular. Pretty soon she heard something. "…Gotta go now, Dad," she said in her head. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…I love you." Moments later, she stopped staring at nothing and stared at Ryu, who'd appeared near the steps. "…"

"What?" he asked calmly.

"Nothing."

He didn't see them but her eyes were following him as he made his way up a few steps to where she was. Quietly, Ryu knelt before the woman, facing her a moment.

She didn't move.

He was looking away but he was smiling, "Here's the thing, Chun-Li…"

She stayed quiet; it was the only thing in the world she wanted to do right now.

The man named Ryu kept grinning somewhat while speaking softly, "I…"

She was determined to hear him out.

"That first night at the warehouse…" he looked more serious, "I didn't just go there because I was getting nervous about Ken—like you thought."

Chun-Li touched a lock of her hair.

"I was also told something might be going on with…"

She let it go.

He sighed, "That day you came over here…you know, before the rain…" he smiled again.

She placed her hand back in her lap.

"…"

"I'm listening," she said.

"…"

"I'm listening, Ryu…" she ran a quick hand through some of her hair again.

He didn't say anything for a moment.

Chun-Li didn't, either.

"You know, I've got a lot of courage whenever it comes to a _fight_…"

"…"

He looked up at Chun-Li again. "If other things were different…"

"…"

He looked away. "…But they aren't," he said quietly.

She was looking sad again. "They don't _have _to be."

Ryu faced her.

"I like things _so _much right now," she formed a weak smile.

Ryu looked at his hands as they hung over his knees.

"…"

"So do I."

Chun-Li's smile held for a little while, then faded.

Slowly, Ryu stood and scooped Chun-Li into his arms, carrying her up the steps.

Chun-Li relaxed and held his shoulder.

Ryu turned a corner and walked along the balcony, watching a touch of sunlight pass over her face every few seconds while she looked aside, trying to avoid it.

As they approached the room above the entrance, Chun-Li reached out and gently turned off its light, assuming correctly that Ryu had used it while looking for her gift.

"Thanks," he said calmly.

She just smiled at him again.

Ryu put her down—after a moment or two—and pulled some covers over her so she could take that nap she'd mentioned.

He opened the window, letting in a calm breeze, before exiting the room, leaving the door open again.

Not too long after he had gone downstairs, Chun-Li opened her eyes, letting her head fall to the side with a serious yet calm look on her face.

* * *

"Captain," said the receptionist. "I think I just saw the truck passing now. Looks like it's about to pull in out back." 

"Thanks," said Guile while passing through the lobby. "Let me get out there to meet him. Just page the guys who are supposed to bring Sagat out and you can go join everyone else at lunch."

"Okay."

"I'm saying you don't have to bring it _back _today. I'll relieve you."

"_Thank you_, Captain," she smiled. "That _is _a relief."

Guile moved past the glass doors and stepped outside.

A minute later, West and Knox were pointing handguns at Sagat while telling him to come out of his cell, which was now open.

As he exited, Sagat had one man behind him, one on his left, and another, with a holstered weapon, in front. The man facing him was extending a pair of open handcuffs while talking about the other thing he had brought along.

"See, Sagat? I told ya I'd bring this big black coat of yours come today." It was lying across one of his extended arms. "Now you can travel in style."

A few chuckles came in the hallway.

Sagat smiled. "I appreciate that." He extended his wrists toward the cuffs…and the smile was gone. "More than you'll ever know." Suddenly, in a quick motion, the huge, powerful giant known as Sagat reached past the cuffs and grabbed one of the man's wrists with his _right _hand, while simultaneously grabbing the coat with his left. Within the same motion, Sagat stepped to the side while yanking the man in front of him forward—slamming him into the man _behind_ while avoiding a nervous swing from the one on his left while tossing the coat over that man's head.

The two men who had collided fell to the floor due to the surprising amount of force with which it had happened. Knox, the man pulling the coat from over his head, quickly felt a _hard _kick slam into his torso and knock him against the bars. While stunned, he felt something else—he felt his weapon being removed from his hand.

"All right," said Guile outside, signing a paper. "My people will be right along to go with--"

BLAM!

BLAM!

BLAM!

Guile nervously reached toward the driver while crouching a little. "…What…" he whispered, soon running around a corner…pulling on the first set of glass doors…and running in the building.

The driver had taken out his weapon and followed.

Just before they could get the second set of doors open and enter the lobby, Sagat was running through it, turning towards them and firing shot after shot as he passed.

Guile dropped—avoiding the assault.

CRINK, CRASH

Guile covered his head and closed his eyes as glass shattered.

"AH! Oh…oh man. _Oh man_."

Guile opened his eyes…seeing why the soldier beside him was making so much noise.

"Oh no," said the captain.

Sagat had turned the corner and was heading down the hall to a certain someone's cage.

"Oh man. Oh man he shot me, man. He—heeg! Ah…"

"Stop talking. _Stop talking_," said the nervous captain, wrapping his arms around the soldier. "Hang in there. Relax, but hang _in there_."

The hallway was empty except for her. Cammy was staring at the floor calmly as she sat, apathetic to whatever was going on.

Until what was going on came to a pause in front of her cell, and looked at her with an expression of cold hatred.

Cammy looked up a little, opening her mouth. Then her eyes widened as she saw what was in Sagat's hand.

Sagat swung the weapon upwards.

"No!"

BLAM!

Guile had heard the shot as he knelt in a defensive position with his back to a wall. He was now leaning near the corner by the hallway, and had brought the injured man and his weapon with him.

The driver shook and fidgeted, lying against Guile while the captain held an arm around his chest with a balled up cap over his wound.

After shooting through the lock, Sagat opened the door, went in, and pulled a terrified Cammy close to him. He wrapped his free arm around her neck, holding her back against him in a position similar to the one Guile was using with the driver.

Silence.

Sagat peeked out of the cell.

Guile peeked around the corner.

Sagat fired.

BLAM!

Guile pulled back, then retaliated:

BLAM!

"…_SAGAT_! Put that weapon down! There's no way out of here!"

"RIGHT! AS IF YOU'D SAY ANYTHING _BUT _THAT!"

"PUT IT DOWN, SA--"

BLAM!

"…If, you, hit, me _do you know what's gonna happen to you_?!! Think about this. You're not stupid."

"Ung! And if you shoot _me _they'll--"

"Shut up, girl!"

"All right! All right!"

"Let her go, Sagat!"

"I don't know, Guile…it looks like you don't have too many people here right now. It--"

BLAM!

"…You keep shooting in _this _direction and you're gonna hit _her_!"

"Let her go!"

"Afraid not."

BLAM!

BLAM!

"You almost got her that time, Guile. I'm going up those stairs back there in a minute. You might want to think about--"

"Don't listen to him--"

"SHUT UP! _You_,don't say anything!"

"Okay. Don't…don't shoot."

"Sagat, you let her--"

BLAM!

BLAM!

"…"

"Oh, oh man. I'm losing blood. I'm…"

"Stay quiet. You're gonna…Sagat? …_Sagat_?"

TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP…TAP, TAP, TAP.

SLAM!

"Kick the door closed again, girl."

"What are we doing up here? Don't shoot me. If you--"

"Shut, _up_!"

"…"

"Where is it?"

"…"

"Where is it?!"

"I don't know! Where is what? I don't know this building. I--"

"There's the file cabinet…reach out and open it."

"…It's locked. …_Neeee_…"

BLAM!

TINK, TINK.

"_Now_ try."

"…Okay. Which one of these do you want? Which one of these do you--"

"The one with the info on the satellite. ST2-250. I saw it being delivered here but I don't know which file it is."

"…"

"But _you _do, don't you?"

"…"

"I overheard them saying you used one as a decoy to get to me that day in England. The day you shot my daughter."

"…I…"

"You'd better tell me which one it is."

"1731. _Don't_.It's marked 1731."

"Find it."

"…"

"_Quickly_!" CLICK

"Okay! Okay! Hold on."

"…"

"I've got it. It's this blue one here."

"…1731. Hold it. And you'd better not drop it."

TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP!

"He's coming…"

"Don't shoot me! Don't…"

"…"

"What are you doing? Where are we--"

"…"

"No…"

"…"

"We're on the second floor! Don't--"

CRASH!

SLAM! Guile got in the room after stopping downstairs to quickly phone ambulances. He saw a file cabinet had been gone through; he saw what remained of its lock on the floor, and he saw a large hole in the window.

Sagat and Cammy landed right on top of the transport vehicle that had been brought for him. Before throwing a dazed Cammy—and the file—in on the passenger's side and slamming its door, Sagat noticed that the driver—expecting his usually short trip—had left the thing running.

SCREECH!

The vehicle drove away. The only thing keeping Cammy alive was her potential usefulness as hostage material.

Guile arrived at the window above. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

The vehicle kept moving, speeding out of sight.

The captain ran downstairs…and stopped, again noticing the blood and groans of his four fallen comrades. "…" The gun dropped from Guile's hand. He began shaking where he stood with clenched fists and expressions of awe, fear…and downright anger. Suddenly the room was gone and a jungle appeared around him for a moment. He was standing in this same pose the day he'd lost…

A group of laughing soldiers were across the street outside, coming back from lunch. Glass shattered at their building's front door and they suddenly saw all the blood smeared on the captain's outfit and the indescribable look on his face.

"Somebody get in here and help me!!!"

They were too shocked to move for a moment.

Guile's eyes were twitching. "…HELLLLP!!!"

* * *

**_Hours Later_**

****

Guile was sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the front desk with his knees up and his hands cupped in front of his mouth. A calm, desolate look was in his eyes.

Someone approached him slowly. "Sir? We, ah…we've reached a conclusion about that report that came in earlier. It seems a motorboat was stolen shortly after…the escape. We don't know if there's a connection yet."

Guile blinked, not looking up. "What about the hospital?"

"No changes in their conditions."

"…"

The man walked off.

Guile lowered his head into his hands. "…"

* * *

The alarm she'd set went off and Chun-Li was now awake. With a brief yawn and sleepy eyes, she sat up, reached to the side, and turned the noise off. After a moment, she simply nodded her head, giving it a little more rest. After being pulled down, her long brown hair swayed freely, hiding her eyes for a few seconds. A small grin appeared. She turned, brushing her hair aside, and saw Ryu approaching. 

He didn't say anything as he entered. He simply glanced at the clock, then back to her.

Chun-Li extended a hand as she was standing, soon feeling Ryu's as he helped her up. She took a few steps away from the mass of blankets below, then looked up at him.

"Chun-Li," said Ryu, not really smiling this time, "…I'm not very good at saying what it is I'm feeling."

She kept grinning at him in silence.

"Not when I plan in advance, anyway, like I did earlier."

"…"

"So I'm just going to try doing all this as I go along."

"…Okay."

"This kimono…it's not the gift I was telling you about."

"Really?" she looked herself over.

"No. This…" he pulled something from his gi's pocket, "is what I really wanted to give you."

Chun-Li was now staring at a key.

"This is a key to, here. The dojo. The home."

"…"

"I wanted to give it to you because…I like having you around," said Ryu. He threw his gaze down. "And I like having you as a friend. And I…wanted you to know that, anytime—_anytime_, you want to come over here, you can."

Their hands were still touching, but neither seemed to notice.

"…"

"Even when you leave the country. When you come back to visit, you can stop by and come in. Even if I'm not here."

Chun-Li was looking at him again now.

Ryu looked back up at her.

"Does…anyone else have a copy?"

"No. You and I are the only…"

"…"

"I haven't given one to anyone else…not even Ken," he was speaking softly.

"…'Cause I mean," Chun-Li cleared her throat, speaking softly as well, "…what if you invited him…or maybe a woman over…and I came walking in like that."

"…You're the only woman I want to have a place in my home," said the quiet Ryu. "I only know that I've liked the time we've spent around here lately, so I…"

Chun-Li stared…almost nervously.

Ryu finished, "I just wanted you to feel like this is your home, too."

"…"

"It is," Ryu placed the key in Chun-Li's hand. "Anytime you need one." He smiled at her, then looked away shyly. Ryu crossed his arms. "Anyway…I--" he was interrupted suddenly as Chun-Li pulled him down towards her. Ryu looked surprised for a second or two.

Chun-Li held the back of his neck in her free hand, looking straight at Ryu with a very serious stare.

Ryu didn't move…or know what to say.

…Chun-Li's face moved even closer to Ryu's, and she gently pressed her lips to his.

Ryu's eyes widened…very much.

Chun-Li held him, lowering her upper lip between both of Ryu's for a few seconds. Then she let him go, parting a little to look in his eyes. Before anything could be said, Chun-Li had brought their mouths together again, crooking her head to the side and adding more effort as the seconds passed. Then she let go once more.

Ryu was looking away. It would be a few seconds before he had the courage to look at her.

Chun-Li didn't say anything.

"…Anyway…" said Ryu, looking up. "I just wanted you…and just you…to have that." He blinked, staring at her. Ryu touched his lips, grinning.

Chun-Li was putting the key in her kimono's pocket. "Thanks, Ryu," she said quietly. She stared at the spot where she'd placed it for a moment. "…Anyway…I just wanted you…and just you…to have this."

Ryu lowered his hand. "What?"

The kimono opened. Chun-Li felt her hair tickling her back, and then the garment sliding down her legs. And gazing from where the kimono now was to her face, for the first time, it wasn't so easy for Ryu to look away…because Chun-Li was naked from head to toe. And soon—as she walked up to him and slowly pulled off his shirt, undid his belt, tugged down his pants, and stood as he began stepping out of them, gently removing his red band—so was Ryu.

Chun-Li breathed deeply and slowly, locking her serious eyes with his.

Ryu stared at her, thinking again of how much he'd meant the things he'd just said. He raised his hands, holding Chun-Li's shoulders a moment, then ran his fingers along the back of her neck, massaging her soft skin.

* * *

"Come on, captain…you can't just sit there all day blaming yourself," said a male soldier. 

Guile was still by the desk and wasn't looking up as he spoke. "Yes…I most certainly can."

"That's not doing them any good right now."

"I don't care," he looked up suddenly, then looked down again. "Nothing's going to move me from this spot until--"

"_MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE_."

A loud voice had come out of seemingly nowhere.

Guile looked up with expressions of awe, fear…and downright anger. He saw that right outside, several soldiers were staring at something. "…" Quickly, he pulled himself up and ran out there with the other man.

At a hotel not too far from that location, Ken was outside and on his way to bid a friend farewell…when he slowly looked up at the large video screen out there. He wasn't alone in this—everyone on the street had stopped and stared.

At the dojo, Ryu and Chun-Li were interrupted by the sound and turned their heads toward the open window. That was when they too saw the distant screen, and their eyes widened.

On a balcony elsewhere, a young schoolteacher looked out and realized just what was going on. Her eyes narrowed.

In another area of Japan, a well-dressed young woman with blonde locks and a brash smile is exiting a revolving door, briefcase in hand, when she looks up to see what all the other corporate players out there are staring at.

In another, a champion sumo wrestler, his opponent, and the crowd all pause to look up at the strange new image on the video display.

Elsewhere in the country, a dark-haired young woman in a gi stands from a kneeling position and turns around, staring past all the beautiful trees in her training ground. Above her in one of these trees, her sparring partner, a petite young ninja-girl, adjusts her grip and crawls forward, looking on as well.

The message being broadcasted was not limited to Japan. In a frightening display, several screens around the world began receiving it almost simultaneously. Shoppers in electronics stores stopped, got quiet, and watched. Many people at home and in other districts with outdoor screens were doing the same.

In Italy, a lavender-haired woman stops meditating and—seemingly without _needing _an electronic alert of what's happening—walks over to a television and turns it on. It was as though she simply _knew_.

Wielding a small tomahawk, a certain warrior in Mexico has just returned to a commemorative gathering outside a small village, when he notices his people crowded around a radio report.

A popular fighter in Jamaica stops dancing to the music upon noticing something odd on a muted television.

Having once again climbed the highest tree in the jungle, a fighter in Brazil, who's sometimes called Jimmy, swings his way down to find that his usual radio programing has been interrupted.

A famous Russian wrestler at a bar stops laughing with friends, lowers the drink, and looks up at the TV in the corner.

In India, a well-known practitioner of yoga suddenly draws his family near as the message reaches their television.

In the United States, two members of the Masters family are sitting on a couch, when the son suddenly feels his mother's arms around him, lowers his book, and watches as she turns the television's volume up with a very confused frown.

Elsewhere in the country, an energized, bandana-wearing blonde man rips off his shirt and prepares to do some exercise…when his eyebrows lower upon seeing what's on the nearby screen.

And in Hong Kong, famed twin fighters—two young men—are about to head out for a double date when they see what's going on as well. And not too far from their location, the production of a movie star's latest film is halted, as he, the cast, and crew realize they've been upstaged.

Back in Japan, the door of the dojo was unlocked and pulled open. As the wind picked up, a fully clothed Ryu ran out towards the distant ledge to get a better look at the broadcast. Moments later he was joined by Chun-Li, who had pulled on her kimono and, despite the pain involved, decided she wanted a _closer_ look as well.

Out there on the street, Ken's eyes shook and his jaw dropped in awe.

Guile's fists were clenched again and his teeth were gritted.

There were two men on the screen…but what had everyone staring was the presence of just one.

And slowly, Guile growled the name out. "Bison…"

"Greetings," said the man under the red cap, his psychotically dark smile the same as always.

Guile growled again. "…It can't be. Not now. Not after all this. Not _today_." With that last word, Guile's gaze shifted to the man standing behind Bison: Sagat.

Up by the dojo, Ryu and Chun-Li looked confused by Sagat's presence on the screen.

So did Ken on the street. "What's going on?" he whispered slowly.

"I come to all of you today," said Bison, "via the revolutionary new satellite that was launched so recently—ST2-250. How? To put it short, I still have a computer capable of controlling such things…"

Guile snapped twice while looking up, "Find out…find out where that transmission's coming from. C'mon, c'mon."

Certain soldiers around him scrambled.

Bison continued, "But that would've meant nothing without the access codes, which, thanks to my dear friend you see here…"

Guile was listening carefully as he looked to Sagat again.

"…Finally reached my possession today," said Bison.

"It…" Guile mumbled, "it was him all along. Juli, Juni and Balrog weren't operating by themselves. Bison's been recovering and _directing _them from the shadows almost ever since…we thought he was gone."

Another soldier spoke up, "But I thought Sagat was a part of the _other _faction."

"Now I see what his aim was back there," said Guile. "He must have somehow found out what the other side was after…and he used Cammy to get the file…which he used to earn his way back in with his enemy's side. If he'd escaped _without_ that he would've been too vulnerable out there. It was a desperate measure."

Bison continued, "But your viewing habits aren't _all_ I can use the satellite to affect, which brings me to my main point: Shadowlaw is at a crossroads. We will either have a bright future…or a dark one. And if it's the latter I'm taking the rest of the world down that path with us."

Now Guile was paying more attention than ever. He wasn't the only one.

"Within the past few years," said Bison, "via a special chip, we've created what we call the _Advanced _Monitor Cyborg. And we've used those years to ensure that cyborgs, whether dormant or active, have remained stationed all across the planet." Suddenly the image of Bison was gone and there were several flashes of the MCs. And indeed they seemed to be everywhere. Still. "If you spot one I wouldn't attempt to approach it," he said in a menacing tone.

All over the world, a few people began running away upon actually recognizing a cyborg for what it was.

"Thanks to a little something in their programing," said Bison, "which we've discovered can be _triggered _by a frequency from the very satellite you've so eagerly put into space, Shadowlaw now has the upper hand in this conflict."

Guile was getting nervous.

"Sir," said someone whose attention had been caught by something else.

"In short," Bison continued, "an Advanced Monitor Cyborg is capable of disrupting or utterly eliminating a nearby _source_ of electricity, leaving the surrounding area without power. I know you'll want _proof_…"

"Sir!" The unarmed soldier had begun pulling Guile backwards.

"What's--" Guile stopped, seeing an Advanced Monitor Cyborg approaching.

Bison continued, "Which is why I now turn your attention to this…"

The image of what was happening outside the offices appeared on everyone's screens.

Ryu and Chun-Li watched as Guile and the others stared the cyborg down, many having drawn their weapons.

They weren't _shooting _just yet because it seemed that could be what Bison wanted somehow.

Bison pressed something.

Suddenly the cyborg in front of Guile and the others began twitching while looking up at the sky. It shook violently, no longer in control of itself or caring about the guns it had just noticed. It wasn't the only cyborg doing this; several others—but not all of them—around the world were caught in a similar state.

And then the lights in buildings and on the streets near them began to go out—and the sight of almost every happening was flashed on screen for everyone watching to see. The screens near the agitated cyborgs, of course, went black soon enough, and those viewers were left in states of panic and confusion.

Screams were heard and people began scurrying in the directions of distant streetlights in places where it was nighttime.

Guile turned, and saw that the lights in the building were suddenly off. The sound of Bison's laughter slowly turned him back around. Guile had an unbelievable look of fury in his eyes, almost as though he could sense what certain people elsewhere were feeling at this moment.

It seemed that the nearby screen wasn't close enough to be affected. Pretty soon the cyborgs just stopped trembling and collapsed.

"Now I remember," said Chun-Li quietly beside Ryu. "They said this was what happened that night we found Balrog…when they _damaged_ one."

Everyone could see Bison again now, and then Bison said something else, "Now I'm sure you can get that power back on in due time…but imagine what would happen if I used this signal to call out to _every last one _of my cyborgs—ALL AT ONCE. Without electricity around the world, imagine what would happen in supermarkets; in busy intersections; in _hospitals_…" Bison's smirk was gone.

Guile's fury wasn't.

"Don't worry," said Bison. "I won't do that…but my computer _will_. Automatically—in just under 23 hours."

"FIND OUT WHERE HE'S TRANSMITTING FROM!" said a nervous captain.

"And I'd imagine right now you're trying to find out where I'm transmitting from."

Guile looked back at the screen.

"Well we all know what happened last time you found my headquarters," said a once again smirking Bison. "So just incase you're able to find _this place _as easily as Sagat did today, and just incase you're thinking of launching another air strike…" Bison stepped to the side.

Sagat appeared again, holding a bound, gagged, and squirming Cammy.

"…You might want to consider that one of your own people is here with us," said Bison, calmly.

Everyone watching around the world saw as Sagat tossed Cammy aside.

"Now then," said Bison. "I know not everyone around the world could verbally understand what I've had to say here, but I'm sure those who this was intended for have gotten the message. When I'm convinced they won't be trying to _stop _me, I'll set a ransom. It could be 12 hours before the deadline; it could be 1."

Guile was very quiet.

"And on a personal note to _Captain Guile_, who I noticed watching this just moments ago…" Bison began pressing something again.

Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, and the rest of the many street fighters out there watched with the world as the screens suddenly switched to a shot of one angry captain.

Guile looked at himself momentarily, not flinching a bit.

And the voice of the madman was heard over the image: "I must say, captain…I love the hair these days."

The look in Guile's eyes intensified.

For the next few moments, just before the transmission ended, almost all the world watched the furious, determined gaze of one man…while simultaneously hearing the cocky, disturbing laughter of the other.

* * *

Visit **StreetSaga . Net**


	10. Can't We All Just Get Along?

**Can't We All Just Get Along?**

****

****

**_5 Hours Until Deadline_**

Guile was holding a receiver and speaking. Chun-Li was holding another and listening.

"When I get a call…from my _wife_," he cleared his throat, "…and she's laughing and she goes, 'You won't believe what she did this time…' I figure she could be talking about a friend of hers, but she's probably talking about our daughter."

She ran some fingers through her brown hair.

"When I get a call from Interpol…and they say they're glad we'll be working together again—not just because we do it well, but because _someone _there wants a rematch with me in pool…I figure they could be talking about you…but they're probably talking about Hunter."

Chun-Li managed a tiny grin.

"…But when I get a call from a certain superior," Guile's expression was growing bolder, "…and he gets out a few words in that tone of voice—it's sort of hard to describe; it sounds like a deep, tense tone of fear _and _anger—and he whispers 'Stop, him…' there's no need for an explanation…"

"…"

"Even if I haven't yet heard of _what _he's talking about…I always know who."

* * *

He stood quietly on the roof of a two-story building. The waves below him danced about. The winds around him played with his cape.

And the man approaching behind him said one simple name: "Bison."

He didn't turn or change his calm demeanor. "You used to call me master."

"You used to pay me."

"Ah…" he stuck one hand out, adjusting his cape so it was covering only his right side now. "Loyalty has never been high on your list of values, has it, Sagat?"

"…I didn't know until coming here that you were still alive. Keeping it secret until you recovered—even when the organization was still _one_—was your intent, wasn't it? You used that as a _test_ to see--"

"Even now you've only come to me with the prize I sought in order to protect yourself in this country."

"Had I known it would only be _us _here, I might have taken my chances elsewhere."

Bison let out a slow, deep chuckle. "Sorry about that. You see, you aren't the only one from our once-powerful organization who lacks a strong sense of loyalty," he paused. "But _you _already knew something about that, didn't you? I began to start learning that years ago during that test you were mentioning…when half my people, believing me dead, began to leave and eventually find their way to you over the years."

Sagat looked down without replying.

"Now, with Juli, Juni, and Balrog gone, the few soldiers we had remaining saw little reason to stay. They figured it was the end for this faction, and apparently abandoned me without my knowledge."

"…"

"They were weak. Always. That is why Balrog began recruiting new assistance. When the military destroyed our main base of operations, we were forced to flee to this one. One not very well _hidden_, but so unassuming it's been left undisturbed ever since."

"Even I, being one of the few who knew the location back then," said Sagat, "had almost forgotten it until yesterday. I never would have figured…." He thought of something else. "And this is also where you had the _Advanced _chips stored? While you kept most of the cyborgs themselves scattered across the world in storage. That, I know."

"Correct. Keep the majority of both away from the base—it was a precaution I took against something like what they ended up doing to us when they attacked. And over these years I saw that our remaining agents were busy traveling the world, upgrading the cyborgs in their hiding places; activating the abilities to fight, work as teams, and remotely short-circuit electrical equipment…including generators, just incase their enemy was relying on it somehow. …Then—in an unexpected twist—came the satellite last year, and the surprising knowledge about it our technicians uncovered." Bison smiled. "That was when I knew I'd have to gain control of--"

"I need to know when you're going to contact them again; when you're going to make the monetary demand."

Bison didn't reply.

"That is what this is about, correct? Getting enough money to rebuild Shadowlaw?"

Bison looked up at the big dish that had come in handier than ever expected.

"Bison…I still have several people on my side. They're not strong in England right now—as I'm sure you've heard—but they _are _out there around the rest of the world, waiting for my order. Being here I can easily contact them. When you've got the money I'll tell them to rejoin you, and _together_ we can reunite and rebuild Shadowlaw."

Bison was still quiet.

"Are you listening, Bison? We may be running out of time to even present the deal. From what I've heard, you're _safe _as far as the two women are concerned…but _Balrog_…they could very well be getting this location out of him."

"Then in that case you'd better go inside and prepare to fight, Sagat."

"…Bison--"

"And keep an eye on Cammy. Make sure she's had her meal. But, Sagat," Bison suddenly turned, "do _not_, use this opportunity to harm her. I understand you have personal reasons for wanting her dead…but as I've told you, I have ones of my own for wanting her alive."

"And speaking of personal reasons—I _cannot_ afford a global power failure right now, Bison. I can't risk it with my--"

"_Sagat_. My regret is having to lay low all this time while all the rest of you got to play. But now _I'm _about to end this game. Go inside…and wait for my word."

"…"

"…"

Sagat turned…and walked.

Bison turned back around, chuckling to himself.

* * *

"Even after all this time," said Guile, "I was still able to recognize his tone at the start of that call," he paused. "…I am _tired_…of that call. I was tired of it back then and I'm tired of it now."

"…What are you saying?" Chun-Li asked quietly.

"Heh…Sagat…" Guile's eyebrows rose and he made a face, "_Bison_…this time, I'm really gonna kill them. _This time_, I'm really going to kill them."

"…"

"I'm going to do it for _you_, for my family…and for everyone here and everyone else we work with."

"…"

"I'm saying I'm going to end it."

Chun-Li looked at the ceiling as she spoke, "Now let me ask you something else: How many times have we both said that before?"

"What?"

"How many--"

"I heard you."

"Did you?"

"…"

"We've been saying that ever since we thought Bison went down—in-between all these little skirmishes around the world."

Guile looked away from the phone too.

"We were probably both saying that _before _he went down as well, in all the efforts to get Shadowlaw leading up to that operation. Don't you realize…don't you realize what that operation was now?"

"What?"

"Just another operation."

"…"

"Now look at this one…take a good long look at it, pause to remember what you just said…and stop to think about all that for a moment."

"…What are _you _saying?"

"I'm saying we both know what this is probably going to amount to; we've been here too many times already _not _to know." Chun-Li looked down again. "And I don't think _we're _the only ones at this point, 'cause—regardless of how it _should _be—it's not just about us; it's not just about everyone who's licensed…or brainwashed to participate. It's about the _others _as well—the ones who are _targeted_…and the ones who help because they can…or because they want to. Because they have their own reasons or their own friends or their own rivalries and histories to deal with."

Guile closed his eyes with a quiet sigh.

"This whole mission here, Guile—and the little ones that were tied to it elsewhere…this probably isn't the end, and it most certainly isn't the beginning."

Guile opened his eyes again.

"This is all one part of a saga that just goes on and on…and on."

"…"

"…"

"I can't stand women who jabber like parrots."

Chun-Li giggled under her breath.

Guile chuckled without grinning. "But if there ever was a 'point' in all this…that just might be it," he rolled his eyes. "Somehow."

"Yeah, well, another point I'm trying to make is that I want you to be careful. If you do find out where he is, then I don't want you to run in there with your emotions out of control. 'Cause that's how you sound." She paused. "It comes together now. The night we found Balrog, there was a sudden blackout. The guys said that right before it happened, this cyborg they'd damaged started losing control. But no one really knew what was going on…" She began stumbling around a little more. "Wish I could be over there with all of you, but…" she finally found what she was looking for. "Look, Guile I'll--"

"I gotta go. Someone just walked in."

"Talk to you later. Call me the moment there's anything I can do."

They hung up.

She began reading the note:

_"Chun-Li,_

_I doubt they're going to hold it, but I'm scheduled to go in for my hearing today. _

_I hope you slept well and I'm sorry I wasn't home when you woke up._

_I'll be back soon, though._

_Always,_

_—Ryu"_

Chun-Li slouched down to her knees. She let out a soft sigh. "You hear that, Dad?" she thought to herself. "If he makes it through the _real _reason he left then he could be mine always." Then she ran her fingers along the writing slowly. "…So why do I have this feeling that I'm going to be holding onto this _note _for a long time to come?"

* * *

Several people had been interrogating Balrog on and off all day, sometimes all at once. At the moment, the number had dropped significantly.

Guile was sitting on one side of the table. Balrog was cuffed to the other. They were staring at each other in peaceful silence, neither making any resentful looks just yet.

The captain spoke, "You know, I was all set to come in yelling, throwing chairs, making threats, and spilling your blood all over the place. But then I thought to myself, 'He's got to still have a conscience somewhere, right?' "

"…"

" 'He's got to still have some _common sense_'…correct?"

"…"

"The world is in trouble, Balrog, and it's up to people like us with consciences, courage, and common sense to do something about it."

"…"

"You're not with Shadowlaw any longer. You don't owe them anything and you know as long as you're here you don't have to be afraid of them."

"…Our faction is weak. It's probably down to just Bison…and _Sagat _now…so I'm not too worried about that."

"Then what's the problem here? I need to know where that base of operations is. We figure it can't be too far but we're not entirely sure."

"I'm waiting for someone to say yes to my deal."

"What deal?"

"They didn't tell you? They've been denying it half the day…"

"They probably figured I would too."

"Well, then…"

"So what is it?"

"I walk," said Balrog. "I tell you where you can find this place and I walk, along with Vega."

"…"

"And I want all of our belongings returned to us. Especially _his_. And I want it in writing."

Guile was holding his right fist, staring calmly, yet sternly. "We don't have the authority to just release you. I'd have to contact my superiors to get that written up, _if _they even permit it. There's not much time to be goin' through things like that. I need--"

"Then you'd better hurry up." Balrog leaned back.

"…"

* * *

**_3 Hours, 31 Minutes Until Deadline_**

****

"Yes, what's the problem _now_, captain?" said the man over the phone, wiping his brow.

"I called to find out about the strike."

"I can't talk long because I'm busy helping organize it."

"I just want to know how it's going to go down. Is there anything _we _can do?"

"No. You've done enough by calling us with Balrog's request. Now that we have the location we're going to proceed against Shadowlaw the same as before."

"…Wait…you mean an air strike?"

"That is correct. Captain, I'm sorry but I really--"

"Sir, a strike like before will…" Guile whispered to himself, "…that whole building's gonna go up."

"Exactly the point, captain. That is how we'll stop this computer that's controlling the satellite."

"But what about his hostage? What about _Cammy White_? Sir, if you let me lead a ground unit in there we can stop the computer _and _rescue the hostage."

"No. We do it that way and we unnecessarily risk the lives of everyone involved. With what happened at your station yesterday we certainly don't need to be doing that. An air strike is safer and just as effective."

"But what about White? C'mon, if Bison's had these cyborgs stored around the world and suddenly turned them _on _via this same signal, then that computer must be able to send a message to the satellite that'll switch them _off _as well. We do it that way, we can save Cammy's life."

"…If Ms. White were still an operative of MI6, we might be considering doing this your way, captain. But as you well know her current status is that of a criminal."

"…"

"And that is why we will not be risking lives for her. I'm sorry."

"Sir, I'm told there may be only two enemies in that building. We have good reason to believe--"

"But no solid _proof_, correct?"

"…"

"I'm sorry, captain…but this is how we're proceeding."

"When?"

"If all goes well, and it will, the choppers will be in the area in approximately 2 hours."

* * *

**_1 Hour, 53 Minutes Until Air Strike_**

****

****

Guile stepped out into the lobby, then flinched a little as he walked. "What are you doin' here?"

The man with the red headband stood, finally getting a nice stretch. "My hearing; it was supposed to be today. I figured it was canceled, though."

"So, why'd you come?"

A voice was heard from down the hall, "Probably for the same reason I did."

Guile turned and saw Ken approaching, dressed in a jacket over casual clothing.

"And what are _you _doing here?"

"You know the flights were cancelled due to the situation, right? They didn't want to take any chances when most of the world's lights could go out at any moment."

"Yeah I know that," said Guile. "But why are you…oh let me guess: you want to help."

"Of course," Ken smiled.

"Haven't you learned anything? What got you into this situation to begin with?"

"What am I supposed to do, just sit in a hotel room while the world prepares to suffer? Is that what you'd be doing if you weren't a soldier?"

"…" Guile wasn't able to throw a reply so quickly this time.

"Knowing you, I don't think--" Ken stopped as two others approached.

The soldiers Brooks and Khackie had joined them.

"Guile," said Ryu. "Can we know what the current situation is at least?"

"…They're going to launch another air strike. That'll stop Bison's plan."

"You've found out where he is?" Ken asked.

"On a little uncharted island not too far outside the country. We should've figured that out earlier."

"Yeah, but just which one?"

"Balrog pointed us in the right direction. He says the building shouldn't be _too _hard to spot."

Ken continued, "Why can't someone just shut the satellite down remotely?"

"They've tried," said Guile "Whatever computer Bison's using, it's locking out our signal. We've got the best technicians in the world saying that in time, they can get through…but it'd take them till after the deadline. That's why this air strike has been chosen."

Ryu frowned a little. "An air strike? Aren't they holding Cammy there?"

"That's right," said Guile. "I tried talking them out of it…said to just let me lead a unit in by boat…"

"And they wouldn't listen?" said Ken.

"…No." Guile looked at the floor. "Even though it's likely just Bison and Sagat in there."

Khackie spoke up, "Well…in that case, why don't we just try saving her ourselves anyway?"

"_We're_ not going to do that," said Guile. "…I am."

"What?" Brooks wasn't the only one surprised.

"Like before, this isn't an official mission. I can't bring any soldier along."

"…Well fine then, captain," Brooks continued. "Then don't bring us along. But you can't help it if a few of us _follow _you."

"_I _might get away with it again," said Guile, "but do you realize what an act like this could do to your careers?"

"Could you, possibly protect us later? Like you do everyone?"

"…"

"All right then," Brooks smiled.

"I didn't say I could," Guile continued. "I could only try."

"That's all right, captain," said Khackie. "It's our choice. We'll take the risk. 'Sides, me and Brooks _like _doing things unconventionally. That's why we let Ryu there come along on that other mission."

Ryu looked at the floor, "I would've followed either way." He paused a moment…then looked up. "Just as I want to follow on this one."

"See," said Brooks. "You've got three men who want to help you, sir."

"Make that four," said Ken Masters, dropping his bag.

Guile looked at all of them.

They looked back, not flinching.

"This is not an officially sanctioned mission," said the captain, addressing the men before him. "Under our current regulations here that means we cannot take and use any _firearms_. Except, of course, for the one attached to the boat."

"…Understood, sir," said Khackie.

"Does everyone have a watch?" asked Guile.

Everyone did except for Ryu.

"Here I'll hook you up," Ken knelt and went through his backpack.

The captain continued, "Set them to sound off in…an hour and forty-five minutes. That should be around the time the choppers are scheduled to hit." Guile had a bad feeling suddenly, but he knew if he was going to rescue Cammy in a hand-to-hand situation—much as he hated admitting it to himself—he'd need help when both Bison and Sagat were in the picture.

All five men were standing in a circle looking down at their wrists.

"…All set?" asked Guile. "…Follow me."

They all did.

The bad feeling did as well.

* * *

**_41 Minutes Until Air Strike_**

Cammy was sitting against a wall. Her hands were cuffed behind her and her ankles were taped together.

Sagat was standing in the distance, holding his chin and looking elsewhere.

"I know what you're thinking about," she began smirking.

"Shut up."

Despite the distance, they could hear each other perfectly well.

"I believe that's the same look I wear when I think about my grandma."

"…"

"You haven't forgotten _that _day, have you?"

"…It was an accident. I would never hurt an innocent person unnecessarily."

"Yeah, I figured all that," using the wall, she slowly pulled herself up. "Ha, ha…I just didn't _care_."

An orange blast of energy was suddenly flying at Cammy.

Her smirk didn't budge and her gaze didn't waver as she leaned to the side. A small explosion came from the wall a few feet to her left. Cammy stood straight again. "Now, now…didn't Bison tell you not to hurt me?"

"…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. It must really suck taking orders when you shouldn't really have to, huh?"

"…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

A stronger burst of orange flew at Cammy. The shot missed and the resulting blast threw her down again.

"Heh, heh, heh," she giggled, remaining on the floor. "You idiot. Your following his orders was what dragged the two of us into this conflict of ours."

It seemed odd to Sagat how Cammy was acting. Suddenly she wasn't the timid woman from yesterday.

"…I'll bet he's not the only one who's been debating my safety lately. I'll--"

"I said to shut up."

"Wait. _Sagat_…I'll bet they've figured out where we are by now. That or they will pretty soon."

"…"

"It's going to be the same as before," she paused, looking at the ceiling from the floor. "They're going to blow this place up—and us along with it."

Sagat became a little more nervous suddenly but didn't show it.

"I mean, I suppose a rescue team might come anyway. I remember hearing some guards talking about some big news…about how Ryu and Ken helped rescue Chun-Li in some unauthorized mission. Maybe someone might do the same for me." She began looking forward again. "But _probably _not. And even if they did stop to consider that, it's probably too late now. What are you going to do in that case, Sagat? Besides die I mean?"

He threw another angry shot.

As Cammy was pulling up, this one slammed into the bottom of the wall, its aftereffect throwing her down again.

Sagat gritted his teeth, breathing deeply as he stared.

"…" Cammy began to giggle. She stood. Her head was down and her eyes were closed. "So you've got Bison giving you crap on one side. And you've got a good chance of doom coming on the other," she looked up and smiled. "So what's keeping you here, Sagat?"

"You just don't know when to stop…" he lifted his hands again, aiming. "It's because that's your talent, isn't it? I'll bet almost no one can handle your shtick—that of the poor, innocent, _insane_ young woman. It's too depressing and disturbing…and annoying for most people, isn't it? You think it's working on _me_?"

"…So what's keeping you here?"

"…" He lowered his arms. He looked away. And after a moment he spoke. "A faint hope."

"Ah…a faint hope."

"…"

"Wait…this has to do with what I was talking about, doesn't it? You think just maybe _he'll _come, don't you?"

"…"

"Don't look surprised. I mean," she chuckled, "everybody knows what he did to you. I was wondering myself, just who out there stands a good chance against him. Who's the one who can do it?"

"…"

Cammy was looking off and speaking disrespectfully, "…I don't think it's you, Sagat."

Sagat grew angrier with that statement.

"But maybe that little one," Cammy chuckled, not sounding amused. "You know, I met her once on the street—after rejoining the service. During a brief mission to Spain I snuck off and…there she was."

* * *

_"What's wrong? _Scared_?" Cammy swung her fist._

_With a confused frown that soon went away, Sakura swung a vertical forearm and parried, then quickly spun and put a hard standing kick in Cammy's midsection._

_Cammy stumbled back in a bent position, bringing a hand over the spot where she'd been struck…and slowly looking back up._

_With her arm still held out in that spot, Sakura was quietly looking the other fighter over. "…Step off, 'crazy girl'…lest this goes somewhere."_

* * *

"Heh…" she whispered, "…moments when you have only a faint hope." She began looking down to the side, "That reminds me," a grin came again. "When a person receives an unexpected attack, and it's skin-piercing, I wonder which comes first…blood or pain."

Sagat turned.

She was still looking away. "And when a person _knows _they're about to die…I wonder which dies first…them or their most recent hope."

Another shot flew at her. Without even looking, Cammy threw her legs out and dropped, avoiding the attack as the wall above her head exploded.

Then her head rose, and then she was looking at him with that certain smile once more. "Won't you stay with me and find out?"

He looked on hatefully.

"Won't you grant me that last request?"

It seemed like nothing he did had any effect.

"Won't you give me the _answer_…in the middle of those final _seconds_?"

It seemed like that disturbing grin was getting closer as she spoke.

"The end is near, Sagat…"

It seemed like nothing could reach her when Cammy didn't _want_ it to.

"The missiles are coming…"

It seemed like there was this invisible barrier right in front of that smirk.

"And we've each got just a little time left…to figure out what life's all about."

And it seemed like Sagat, much to his bewilderment, just couldn't fire again at the moment…for fear of finding out that barrier would really exist.

Cammy stared at him, her smirk not going anywhere.

Sagat stared back, _angrily_, his arms unable to remain steady as they _pointed_ at her, but did nothing more.

* * *

**_16 Minutes Until Air Strike_**

****

****

Slowly appearing from seemingly nowhere in the distance, a lone motorboat swept across the water, making the usual sound as it approached until stopping inches from the shore.

Five gentlemen stood.

"Brooks, Khackie…I want you to wait here by the gun," Guile was referring to the one attached to their vehicle. "We need trained defense and lookout around the boat to ensure we'll get out of here."

They agreed.

* * *

One of the men inside spoke. "Sagat…wait upstairs by the window. Just incase they're planning on being sneaky."

* * *

"Doesn't look like there's anyone in those woods," said Khackie. "But I'll cover you from here if there is. The moment it becomes absolutely _necessary_, I'll fire."

"Captain?" said Brooks. "I thought we couldn't bring any weapons."

"No firearms," replied Guile, trying to get a good look at the distant door up beyond all the plants. His grip tightened around the grenade. "But I can take risks you guys can't. And this, is what we'll merely call a tool…used in absence of a _key_."

"Sounds reasonable to me," said Ken, pausing as Guile drew back and hurled the explosive after pulling on it.

What went up came down, right in front of the building's entrance.

* * *

Cammy heard something. She was gagged once again so only her eyes could indicate that she had mistaken it for the beginning of the strike she'd anticipated. Those eyes looked very nervous.

* * *

"Ken," said Guile. "You wait right here."

"What? I didn't come just to--"

"_I mean it_. You've got a family whose hopes you've been getting up over the phone. I'm not gonna have something happen to you _now_. I let you come because I knew you'd be too concerned about Ryu if you didn't…and right now I wouldn't put either of you through that sort of thing." Guile turned slowly.

"But I--"

"Ryu…you'd better stay here too. I thought I wanted help, but…"

Ken cut in, "Wait, Guile. You're going in there alone?"

"This is my responsibility."

"No way. I'm coming with you."

"Those choppers are gonna be here in 14 minutes!" Guile turned to Ryu. "Talk some sense into him please?"

"…Ken," said Ryu, feeling the island winds begin to whip about as he looked ahead at the building. "I think you should do what he says."

"Are _you _kidding me now?"

Ryu continued, "But I'm going in," he said, looking at Guile.

"What?" replied the captain with a brief frown.

Ryu was adjusting his gloves and looking ahead, "I'm not going to let you do this alone."

Ken spoke up, "Yeah, and I don't want that either. If it's really just them--"

"Then…two of us would be enough," said Guile, quietly acknowledging that _one _wouldn't. "So if you're not gonna think of your family, Masters, then I am. I don't have time to debate this. Wait here, Ken…" Guile actually took a moment to pat the other man's shoulder respectfully, "…or our deal is off." The captain turned and ran.

Ryu glanced at Ken and the others, then followed.

They moved across the sand, up through the small patch of woods, and up the remaining slope…pausing with caution by the entrance, which was near the left end of the building.

Guile was leaning against one side of the newly made opening. Ryu was on the other. Both exchanged glances as the seconds passed, preparing to launch their classic projectiles while peeking in. They saw a long hallway with a curved flight of stairs at the end. There was an opening about halfway down on the right, and a long, tall pane of glass just above it, which reached to the ceiling and provided a glimpse of the second floor.

Guile looked at his watch again…then up at the sky. He motioned for Ryu to remain behind him as they entered.

After a few seconds of walking, the brave captain was peeking through the entrance in the middle…and his expression changed from caution to something else in an instant. He saw a wide room, a large, impressive-looking computer, and a large screen displaying a grid. None of that mattered, though. At the moment, nothing in there mattered…except for the man standing in the center.

With his cap hiding his eyes, his head hanging low, and his cape wrapped all around him, this man spoke. "I know it's a little windy outside…but if you wanted to come in you could've tried knocking first."

With a face full of anger, Guile straightened up and took a few steps inside.

"Why is it always such a long time?" Bison smirked.

A few more steps were heard.

Suddenly, Bison's smirk froze…then faded.

Standing beside Guile was Ryu.

"Well, well…so you brought some company along."

Ryu watched Bison for a short moment that felt like a long one, not saying anything. Then he began taking a few more steps in his direction.

Bison's frown grew a little harder.

Guile extended his right arm, stopping his comrade's path. "Ryu, we don't have much time here. I want you to check the room upstairs for Cammy while I'm searching this one."

Ryu looked at Bison once more, then turned, jogged off, and exited.

"So you also came to rescue Cammy," said Bison. "I suppose your first reason for being here would explain the response I've recently gotten."

"What are you talkin' about?" Guile was moving forward.

"While you were on the way over I contacted your superiors with my demand. I was a tad confused when they said they'd get back to me, but I guess I should've known they were sending in the Boy Scout."

"Heh."

Bison opened his cape. "Guess now it's time I make them regret that decision."

Guile stopped, staring boldly. He spread his arms a little, "So if I'm right and you had those cyborgs all over the world in some dormant state…and you found out that signal could work to activate them for this little scheme of yours…"

Bison grinned at him.

"Then there must be something at the controls that'll turn them off as simply as you switched them on."

Bison didn't say anything.

"_Right_? Or are you afraid to tell me right now? That's something I _agree _with, actually."

"…Heh, heh. You amuse me so much, Guile. I've known you since _before _you made captain and I never would've imagined that that little punk soldier I encountered would be standing here before me today."

"…"

"It's strange…in some way it feels kind of appropriate."

"…Yeah…in some way it does."

Bison stepped aside, revealing the device far behind him. "I'm sure you can see that large white switch and the button beside it."

Guile looked ahead. "…Oh yeah. You mean those ones?"

Bison stepped back where he had been, a smirk crawling across his face. "That's what'll do it. Of course you realize the only reason I've told you this is because I have no confidence in your ability to defeat me," Bison whipped off his cape and tossed it aside. "Of course you realize that in order to make it over to that computer, you're going to have to kill me."

"Ah…something _else _we agree on." The captain rushed ahead.

Bison adjusted his stance.

Guile slowed down and began kneeling.

Bison flew ahead with an aura of psycho energy around his body.

The captain launched straight up, somersaulting backwards with a kick in the process.

Bison sailed under Guile as the captain was coming out of the flip. Both landed and, right after turning to each other again, threw their respective projectiles. A purple ball flew around awkwardly until it slammed into a Sonic Boom.

* * *

As Ryu made it up the stairs and walked in the room, he saw that the glass which provided a viewpoint to and from the hallway below wasn't the only window in there. He also saw a much longer one in the distance, which stretched along the wall and provided a large view of the sky. He figured that'd be helpful, considering…

"…" Ryu's eyes widened for a second as he was suddenly interrupted by a kick being swung at his head. He managed to throw his right arm up and block, then, almost instinctively, flip backwards and throw a short kick as he went, smacking his opponent's chin.

And his opponent stumbled away, rubbing and shaking the blow off.

Ryu stood up straight, getting another good look at Sagat.

* * *

Guile turned and ran for the computer. Before he had any real hope of reaching it, Bison had warped in front of him, throwing a glowing punch. Guile immediately ducked, and, while holding himself from the floor with one arm, threw his mighty sweep kicks, nearly hitting one of the hard plates around Bison's shins as he connected.

With a look of surprise, Bison found himself falling. Right after he hit the floor, he rolled back a little, pulled both legs with him, and then threw them at Guile's torso.

The captain stumbled away, holding his chest.

Bison popped up and did a forward flip, kicking Guile with both legs again while coming out of it.

The captain fell.

Jumping back, Bison waited…then launched high into the air, crossing his arms.

Guile threw his guard up as he stood…then lowered it as Bison appeared to have moved too far for a head stomp.

Suddenly Bison went upside down and fell out of the pose with another hand full of glowing energy, which smacked Guile hard as it connected.

* * *

A tiger uppercut missed. Upon his landing, Sagat was grabbed and thrown. As soon as he rolled up he could tell a certain projectile was coming at him, and he countered by throwing one of his own beneath it.

The _hadouken_ missed. The tiger shot hit.

Ryu was pushed back…then ran ahead, ducking under a high tiger shot, and swinging his right leg up as he stood. The kick, as usual, hit the opponent on the way up and again on the way down.

Sagat gritted his teeth in pain…then recovered and blasted Ryu with another high tiger shot.

As Ryu was pushed back this time, he held his stunned pose—looking away for a moment.

Sagat readied himself, a little confused but not distracted.

"…We don't have time for this." Ryu looked forward again.

"…We'll just have to make time," Sagat spoke deeply and darkly.

"I mean it. There's going to be an air strike in less than 10 minutes. Give or take one."

"_This _is the moment I have lived for. This is the moment I have waited years for. I'll not let _anything _stand in my way." Sagat threw another tiger shot.

Ryu was ignoring the familiar words as he parried, "Sagat…why are you supporting him? What do you think will happen to the world if he's successful?"

"I only care about _this _right now. That's why I'm still here. I don't care about Bison. I don't care about anything else," Sagat charged again.

"Even your daughter?"

Sagat paused.

"What will happen to her in that hospital…if the power there goes out?"

"…"

"You've already been thinking about that, haven't you?"

"…"

"Yet you couldn't challenge Bison until you were _sure _you wouldn't get the opportunity to fight me."

"…"

"Is this that important, Sagat? Does hurting me matter that much?"

Sagat raised his arms. "…No." He bent his knees. "What matters is not hurting you; what matters is _proving _that I can win this fight, Ryu. What matters to me is _hearing _you admit at the end that I am stronger. _Strength_ is what drives me. And if I went out today and destroyed a hundred fighters…and did the same thing tomorrow, and the day that followed…I would never be satisfied…unless one of them was the one standing before me."

"…"

"We both know this has to end. And we both know who your nemesis truly is. Not Ken. Not Bison…not _Sakura_, and not any of the others haunted by your presence in this world."

"…"

"Your nemesis, your opponent…is me."

Ryu lifted his hands.

Sagat charged again, growling under his breath.

Ryu met him with a hurricane kick, and right after Sagat ducked, he threw a powerful tiger uppercut—because that's the only kind—striking Ryu again and again during his ascent.

* * *

Bison descended again. His arms were extended side by side and his open hands slammed down on Guile's head.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Guile shook the blow off, then spun into a backhand that actually struck Bison. The captain followed up with a forward kick that turned him upside down for a moment, also connecting.

Bison winced again, stumbling a little.

Right after that, Guile stood right-side-up and grabbed Bison by the collar, soon driving a knee into his opponent's torso.

Both men paused while bent, catching their breaths.

Bison pulled up, interlocked his fingers, and slammed his fists into Guile's back. Then he grabbed the captain and, in a skillful display, lifted him off the floor and used one leg to throw him the rest of the way overhead.

Guile turned while grounded and grabbed Bison's ankles with his own legs, twisting and bringing him down. With that, he sprung up, hopped over Bison, and ran for the nearby computer again. Guile felt a hard impact from behind, as a flying Bison had once again launched the Psycho Crusher.

"I said…" Bison managed to taunt as he stood, walking towards the captain. "You're not touching my compu--"

From the floor, Guile threw a sidekick up at Bison's ribs.

* * *

All around the world, soldiers everywhere had been trying to find and forcefully deactivate as many of the Advanced Monitor Cyborgs as they could, which was part of what had caused the delay with organizing the now impending air strike.

Soldiers were still out searching. It was a difficult task, considering how the cyborgs were dressed in plain clothing.

* * *

On a certain shore, someone else dressed in casual clothing made a decision. "I'm going in."

"Ken," said Brooks, "you heard what Guile said."

"Look at the time," Ken replied. "…That's my friend and your captain in there. Someone's gotta do this. And since he ordered you two to guard the boat…"

"Ken…"

"Just stay here. _I'll _bring 'em out."

* * *

Ryu was on the floor, pushing himself up from it. He felt another kick in his side. He rolled in pain.

Sagat approached again, gathering strength quickly.

Ryu popped up and threw a _hadouken_.

Sagat pulled his arms back…and launched a super tiger shot.

The attack blew through Ryu's and slammed into the man who'd thrown it, knocking him down in _surprising _pain.

Ryu was still for a moment.

"Why?" Sagat said as he approached relentlessly.

Ryu slowly rolled onto his stomach.

"Why don't you admit it now?"

Ryu began pushing himself off the floor once more.

Sagat pulled his leg back…and threw another hard kick into Ryu's midsection, sending him rolling again.

Ryu was on his side, facing away from Sagat.

"Why don't you stop this for us both? Why don't you just acknowledge it today? Why don't you admit that _I _am superior?!"

"…"

Sagat gritted his teeth, lifting his arms again.

And slowly, Ryu began standing, still facing away.

Sagat hesitated, breathing deeply as he watched.

With fists clenched, Ryu looked over his shoulder and spoke, making a statement that both men in that room knew as an eternal truth: "Because you're _not_."

* * *

Guile and Bison's hands were locked as they growled at each other, each man pressing forward with all the strength he could muster.

Guile managed to look at his wrist…then swung and threw Bison in one continuous motion.

Bison fell a few feet away. As always, the cap seemed to be glued to his head.

With barely any stamina remaining, Guile turned and ran for the computer once more…and stopped in front of it…and pulled a switch, and slammed his hand down on a button.

* * *

A satellite reacted.

* * *

All over the world, the soldiers' jobs suddenly got a little easier, as cyborg after cyborg stood out by simply coming to a halt and collapsing on the spot.

Many of the soldiers and civilians everywhere were perplexed and panicked at the same time. Only a few of them began to consider the truth: The captain they had all been watching yesterday was somehow responsible. Guile had succeeded.

* * *

Guile stood, panting. "…Well, now…I guess that takes care of that," he said, noticing that several lights on the grid were fading.

Bison pulled himself up.

Guile stood straight as well. Finally, he noticed someone else in the room lying gagged and bound in a corner far away. "Cammy."

Bison began to giggle.

Guile looked at him.

The laughter intensified…then stopped.

"What's so funny? You see, that's what _I _wanted. I didn't want to _just_ stop the cyborgs from receiving your big, dangerous signal; I wanted to make sure they were shut down entirely so they weren't pestering us anymore."

"Oh…you've accomplished _that _goal then, captain…"

Guile clenched his fists.

"But _not _the _first _one you mentioned." Bison had gotten serious again.

"…What?"

"Do you really think I would have revealed how to shut them down if everything relied on _that_? Don't you see? I only turned them on from here to get them into _position_. Whether they are dormant or not doesn't matter."

"…"

"Once that signal goes out…they'll _still _receive it—lying on the ground as they probably are now—and they'll still carry out my threat."

"…"

"There's no way you can stop this one, my dear captain. And you have your friends who put that thing into orbit to thank."

"…" Guile looked at his watch, knowing what the only solution was now. He looked up again and his eyes widened.

Bison blasted into Guile with a Psycho Crusher.

The captain was thrown into the computer, falling down slowly with his back against it.

Bison stood before him…then let out a chuckle and began reaching down.

The weakened captain looked up at the hand as it approached, remaining still and brave.

"UNNG!" Bison stumbled a little, feeling the force of a projectile.

Standing in the far distance behind him was Ken—the bottoms of his palms together with opened hands.

Guile pulled himself up and quickly tackled Bison. "Ken! Get Cammy out!"

He looked around, then began running in her direction. "Where's Ryu?!"

"Upstairs. I'll get him. You just…" Guile had to struggle to hold Bison, "…just get Cammy outta here."

Ken ran as fast as he could.

Bison struggled against Guile's strength.

Ryu parried a shot from Sagat.

Cammy watched as Ken reached down to scoop her over his shoulder.

And not too far outside, the choppers were approaching; coming to claim them all.

The left arm swinging at Ryu was caught and held by the wrist, and very soon, Ryu's left elbow connected with the side of Sagat's neck.

The tall man backed away with a painful glance to the side, knelt, and fired at his opponent's knees.

A small hop was all it took for the man in white to avoid that attack, and, standing closer now, he pulled a punch back and threw it down on Sagat's head. And while Sagat was still hurt by that, Ryu took a quick step back and returned with a strong sidekick.

* * *

Ken was carrying Cammy out of the room.

A tense and angry Bison watched it happen, still struggling with Guile.

Ken made it into the hallway and turned, whipping Cammy's long hair as the two began heading for the opening. Upon getting outside, Ken looked up…and saw what he was afraid of.

Down at the boat, the two soldiers looked as well.

Many, many choppers were coming and bringing a response to Bison's threat with them.

* * *

Ryu threw a left cross.

Sagat's head whipped backwards.

Ryu stepped in with a standing uppercut, looking away as it connected.

Sagat reeled.

Finally, Ryu leapt up, spun, and struck Sagat with the hurricane kick.

And Sagat fell, feeling as weary as Ryu had moments ago.

Afterwards, Ryu back-flipped, taking a moment to caress one of his own wounds. He looked at some blood on his hand…then lowered it and brought his eyes back on Sagat, staring in quiet resentment.

Sagat's vision cleared, and he could see Ryu looking at him.

Ryu spoke almost under his breath, but loud enough. "It didn't have to come to this." A brilliant sparkle of blue crackled around his body. "There should come a time when one makes their peace, Sagat. This should be that time for you."

Sagat stood.

The blue energy began to focus around Ryu's hands. "You decide right now if I'm right or not."

Sagat leaned forward, recognizing the aura building up across from him.

"Go on," Ryu waited. "Decide." The energy waited with him, crackling loudly.

Sagat growled under his breath in frustration.

* * *

"Fine…" said Bison. "If I can't have love…I'll take hate." With that he freed himself from Guile's grip by bringing a leg up and kicking the captain away.

Landing with a soft thud, Guile rubbed the spot where he'd been struck, then looked up to notice Bison warping by the exit and moving off to the side.

* * *

Then Sagat looked through the window. Not the indoor one behind him, but the long one behind Ryu. Through that he saw several choppers approaching the island. "…" Then Sagat noticed something from the corner of his eye.

Bison was standing there.

"…Bison, I--" And Sagat screamed in pain.

Bison grinned in delight, jamming the point of the metal plate on his right shin into Sagat's left.

It hurt a lot, and blood had immediately poured out of Sagat's leg in response. Sagat's mouth was hanging open as he squinted at the ceiling.

Ryu looked on in confusion, bringing his guard up as Bison withdrew his leg.

Sagat was now kneeling and looking at the floor while breathing heavily.

"How does it feel, Sagat?" Bison spoke, seemingly ignoring the man in white. "How does it feel to have what you've wanted for years within your grasp…and then watch as it's taken from you?"

Sagat didn't answer; he was in too much pain.

Bison's gaze had gone dark again. "I told you that Shadowlaw does not forgive mistakes. And this is your punishment for making the biggest one of all: Turning against me."

Sagat managed a resentful gaze, still looking away.

He bent, holding his knees. "Oh, I could've struck right after you put the file in my hand…but I knewI could possibly use you. And later I could tellwhat you were _hoping_, so I decided to wait. I could kill you, but I want you to _live_. I want you to live with this lingering torment. Now you'll never _know_. After all these years of waiting, you'll never know who would've won this fight between yourself and Ryu." Bison stood up straight, looking at Ryu but still speaking to Sagat. "And you'll never get another chance to face him."

Sagat threw a punch but Bison, though tired, easily blocked it and slung him over in Ryu's direction.

He took a step forward. "Because right now I--" Bison paused, noticing the choppers. "…How--" Suddenly he was tackled once again, stumbling with it.

Guile growled angrily, holding Bison's waist.

Bison clenched his hands together and slammed them into Guile's back again.

The captain grunted…then picked Bison up and ran, _crashing through _the indoor window and falling downstairs into the hallway. Glass and blood fell with them in a silent, almost slow motion…and they finally landed.

The noise came as the pieces of glass scattered everywhere around them. Lying side by side, both were still breathing but neither was moving much beyond that. Blood and sweat decorated the two as their panting became audible.

Seconds of silence passed.

Between a few breaths, Guile spoke. "…We're gettin' too old for this crap."

* * *

Handing Cammy to the two men on the boat, Ken Masters looked up at the sky. Taking one nervous step backwards and then another, he turned and ran back towards the building.

* * *

**_1 Minute, 58 Seconds Until Air Strike_**

****

Ryu's fists were clenched as his gaze was held on the choppers.

Sagat was kneeling and not really looking at anything. One of the biggest surprises of his life came in the next moment: Though his mind tried to deny it almost immediately…he felt Ryu helping him up.

"Come on," said the warrior in white.

"AHH!" Sagat screamed in more pain.

"C…come on, Sagat."

"I can't walk. I…I can't walk," he replied.

Ryu looked up at the window again. "…I'll have to carry you." And he tried…but Sagat was a big man and currently, Ryu was a tired one.

"You don't have enough strength to carry me. I'll slow you down. …There's no more time. Just go!" He pushed Ryu away with one arm. "Leave me."

Sagat spoke the truth. Outside, the choppers had slowed down.

Ryu saw this…and he felt a terrible, conflicted feeling. "…" He began summoning his last bits of power.

"No, no, no, no…" Ken was moaning while running.

Guile pushed Bison back into the room they'd been in before as they struggled.

Upstairs, more glass shattered violently. Wind rushed into the room. Ryu lowered his hands, having thrown a strong _hadouken_ that created a wide opening in the window on the wall.

Quickly, he reached down and grabbed Sagat, dragging him to the hole.

There was nothing but a small ledge of land on that side of the building.

Ryu punched a little more glass away, then placed Sagat's back to the opening and pushed his head down.

The two men stared at one another, face to face.

Sagat looked at the other man in silence, and for perhaps the first time ever, there was no sign of anger, arrogance, or resentment in his gaze.

And then—pressing right on the scar—Ryu shoved Sagat through the window…and Sagat fell until he hit the water below.

A moment later his head surfaced.

"Ryu!" The call came from behind.

He turned and saw Ken.

"Come on!"

Ryu began moving in his friend's direction as quickly as he could. "What about Cammy?"

Ken ran about halfway to meet him. "We got her out."

The choppers spread out.

Brooks, Khackie, and a no longer gagged Cammy looked up at them, then to the building.

"Never learn…do you…_captain_," said Bison, locked in a struggle similar to before.

Guile looked him straight in the eye. "…Bison…do me a favor."

"…Yes?" he smirked.

"This time don't come back." And Guile rammed his right knee into Bison's midsection, then released his grip and spun behind his opponent. Grabbing him by the waist, Guile used some of his remaining strength to suplex Bison backwards, slamming him to the floor with a mighty thud.

"…" Bison was stunned and lying still.

"Guile!" The call came from ahead.

The kneeling captain looked up, and saw Ken at the room's exit with Ryu.

"Come on!"

Guile got up and ran.

Before he exited, the captain looked back…and saw that Bison's hat had finally fallen off.

Guile, Ken, and Ryu ran down the hallway…ran across the sand…ran down through the woods…and ran for the boat.

High above them, the pilots stared at their controls and braced themselves.

The three kept running.

Out back, Sagat was swimming as fast as his arms would take him.

Inside of the building, Bison saw his hat on the floor and began reaching out. He saw the Shadowlaw emblem on it, staring back at him. Quietly, Bison started to laugh. The sound became louder and louder.

Guile, Ken, and Ryu jumped in the boat, and right away, the boat holding them and the three others was turned and driven off.

And just like before, someone gave the order…and the choppers fired.

Missile after missile after missile flew, destroying the building, destroying the computer, and putting an end to the threat they represented.

As the vehicle carried them away with the others, Ken, Guile, and Ryu watched on, tense expressions covered by little sprinkles of water as they left the scene. A sudden light began to sweep over the three, and with their gazes still ahead, it took a while before any of the men realized it wasn't a flash from the distant explosion…but the sun shining down on them.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

****

As usual, the inside of the dojo was pretty quiet before the phone rang.

Chun-Li picked up. "Ryu?"

"No, Chun-Li, it's Sakura."

She seemed pleasantly surprised. "Oh. Hi."

"Hey," replied the young woman while straightening her short hair. "Look, I know you don't really know me; I'm really only familiar with you through reputation."

"Same here actually," Chun-Li sat down.

"A lot of interesting things are going on around the world now, especially with everyone in this state of celebration over the way that crisis played out. Seems like a lot of eyes are being opened and a lot of peace is on the way."

"I hope so…" Chun-Li started to wonder why Sakura didn't seem surprised when she answered.

"I just called to say thank you."

"For what?"

Sakura continued, "One of the most interesting things I've noticed lately, is how a certain friend suddenly has a bit more than _usual _to talk about when I get around to calling him."

"…"

"And that was, of course, _before_ all of this stuff that's been happening over the last two days."

"…"

"So I…anyway, thanks for what you've done."

Chun-Li grinned modestly. "I haven't really done anything."

"Yeah…" Sakura smiled a little too. She giggled. "You know what I think one of the best _lessons _anyone can ever learn is?"

"What?"

"…_That's the point_."

"…" Chun-Li smiled warmly.

"Take care now."

"You too."

Two clicks followed.

* * *

The judge spoke. "Captain, step forth please."

With a folder in hand, Guile did.

"Sit down," whispered a lawyer as he patted his client on the shoulder, before stepping forth as well.

At the table, Ryu watched with a somewhat puzzled look.

* * *

When all was said and done, three men were standing in a hallway, chatting about the hearing.

"So Ryu's gonna be fine then?" asked Ken, wanting a final bit of confirmation.

"Just fine," replied Guile. "Like I said, I presented the reports on how both of you two's actions helped save Chun-Li and Cammy. Those may not have been sanctioned missions, but…they can't ignore the end results, which we're all very pleased with. So everything concerning Ryu has been dropped. I didn't even need to play that _phone call_ like I thought I would."

"I'm glad for Brooks and Khackie, but what about Cammy?" asked Ken. "I mean, now that she's been taken back to England…"

"I got a phone call from a big Cammy fan," said Guile. "A senator named Leeds. Since Cammy was the one responsible for saving his daughter, he became very sympathetic upon hearing of her situation. If he has his way she's going to be spending time in an asylum. I don't know for how long or what'll happen afterwards, but…that's probably where she needs to be right now."

"Hm," said Ken. "So Balrog and Vega were released on probation?"

"That was part of the deal. Balrog only wanted it to include Vega because he needed help getting out of the country. And Vega still had the resources to drop him off somewhere. They're still going to be watched, though."

"Even though that faction has hung it up too?"

"Well that sounded like great news," said Guile, "but we can never be too sure."

"More great news we can thank Ryu for," said Ken teasingly.

Ryu was looking down. "All I did was help one man live when there was nothing else to do."

"Well the act left quite an impression on Sagat," said Guile. "We got that taped call from him yesterday saying he was going to tell all of his men to withdraw and leave that line of business. He might've just shut things down because he didn't want his daughter going back to that when she recovers…"

Ken frowned a little, "He said in the call that you had Ryu to thank."

Guile continued, "…_Or_, it could've really been about whatever this issue is between him and Ryu."

Ryu was wondering just what that issue's current status was.

"But whatever the reason," said Guile, "we're all going to be getting by better because of it. But Sagat's still a wanted man."

"Hey," said Ken, "the _world's _going to be a better place now because of it. Once the message on that tape got out to the press—combined with the victory over the other faction—_man_…now so many people out there are in such good spirits."

The three were quiet.

"Kind of sad, huh…" said Ken "…how it takes all that fighting to get everybody in a good mood like this?"

It was quiet again.

Guile turned, extending his hand. "Go home."

Ken smiled, then adjusted his bag and proudly shook the hand before him.

Guile gave Ken's shoulder a quick slap as he let go, then turned to the other man.

Ryu shook Guile's hand, using his other to give it a respectful pat just before releasing it.

Once they'd all left the hallway, Guile had driven off somewhere while Ryu and Ken were standing just outside the building's entrance. Finally, the driver who would take Ken to the airport swung around in a jeep to pick him up.

The two tapped fists with a brotherly smile.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Rather walk."

A quiet moment passed.

Ken had gotten in. "…So where are you and Chun-Li going from here, Ryu?"

"Don't know."

Ken threw his bag in the backseat, soon turning back to his friend. "You've gotten even stronger, you know that?"

"So have you."

Ken chuckled, "See ya."

The jeep drove away.

A moment later, Ryu picked up his bag, and began walking home.

* * *

At the dojo, two people were sitting side by side on the porch steps.

"So that's what you wanted to see me about," said Guile. "You're taking your leave."

Chun-Li barely grinned. "I just figured with all the cyborgs you shut down being gathered up, and since West, Knox, Everett, and the driver are gonna be okay…and…well I just figured I wouldn't really be missed right now."

"Why don't you admit what this is really about?"

"…Huh?"

"You're mad because _I _got to go have all the fun."

Chun-Li giggled. "No, no…that's how it goes. I heal up while you run off to save the day or whatever."

"Anyway," Guile was serious again, "this is really about something else, right?"

"…It's about me feeling a little differently lately, and trying to figure out just what that'll mean in the future."

"Right, so…you want to figure that out here? In this country? This is where you're taking the leave, right?"

She nodded.

"And you're all checked out of the hotel, so…" he paused, thinking. "Are you…coming back once this leave is over?" Guile wasn't looking at her.

"Go on being a detective or get back to being an ordinary, single…woman. It's the legendary choice in the life and times of Chun-Li. And I remember I actually made it once."

"Right, and you've served very well since then. So I'm asking, what's it going to be _this _time?"

Chun-Li interlocked her fingers, looking forward. A breeze picked up her long brown hair for a moment. "I won't know until later. I guess it might depend on what happens between now and then."

After a few more seconds, Guile let out a soft chuckle, then threw his arm around Chun-Li and hugged her to his side.

They stood, hugging once more.

As Guile was walking to his car, he spoke to her again. "Regardless of what your choice ends up being, I'd better see you again someday. I get tired of writing letters."

"Oh don't worry about that. We've still got a game of pool to play."

"Right." Guile got in his vehicle, waved…and drove off.

Chun-Li stood, smiling at the car for as long as she could see it.

* * *

**The Next Day**

****

**--The United States**

Eliza Masters recognized the voice on the other side, and opened the door.

Standing before her was a blonde-haired man in sneakers, jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt, holding a duffle bag at his side.

Eliza grinned, then quietly began leaning on the open door, staring at him.

Ken smiled too, looking on in silence.

Eliza didn't say anything.

"I'm home," Ken stated simply. "And, ah…"

She just listened.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Eliza pulled Ken in by the hand and closed the door.

He picked her up and spun around. Quietly, they kissed afterwards.

"Dad!" said Mel.

Ken turned. "Hey, pal!" He bent down and returned a hug from his son.

* * *

**--Japan**

Inside of the large dojo were two people, and they were lying in the same hammock.

"So what's this for?" asked Chun-Li.

"I've encountered a lot of people," replied Ryu. "I decided I'd present this to the one who could overcome me."

"Ah…but _I _haven't," she grinned.

"…Maybe not in the way this has always referred to…but you still made it through my defenses in another sense." He gently tightened the knot, and Chun-Li was wearing a red headband.

She blushed, seeing herself in a nearby mirror. "I like it…but I can't. I'll just borrow it for today."

After Ryu had gotten a nice look, he turned Chun-Li around, and cuddled her.

Chun-Li was in her kimono and Ryu was in a gi.

She spoke, "All I did was follow someone's advice."

"…Which was what?"

"I found a certain love and decided to try enjoying it to the fullest."

"…Oh."

"I mean, you know about love…and you know about love stories, right?"

After a pause, Ryu chuckled quietly. "Well, let me tell you this better one than before."

"Okay."

"Sometimes I've…come across these people who seemedfamiliar, but I couldn't quite place _where_ I knew them from. So, I'd just politely go along with the conversation. When this happens, they smile, they ask how I'm doing, I answer…and then we part ways on a friendly note…and I walk off a little confused."

"…"

"…I wonder sometimes if they were angels," said Ryu, "trying to tell me something. Trying to say perhaps, that if I keep going as I always have, then eventually, one way or another," he hugged Chun-Li a bit tighter for a moment, "…I'll end up with one of them."

"…" Chun-Li began smiling. She brought her left hand over Ryu's and closed her eyes.

Ryu closed his as well, wearing the same expression.

* * *

**--The United States**

Guile was standing on the walk in his front yard, looking up at the American flag that waved right above it.

"Hey, soldier," said a calm, cool voice from behind, belonging to a woman with short, puffy blonde hair.

He looked over his shoulder and saw a sparkle.

Jane was wearing one of her husband's dog tags. Behind it was a long-sleeved shirt, open around the collar, which came down over her jeans. "In that kind of mood, huh?"

He turned back, looking across the street. "No…no, I just--"

"Amy just told me you were back. Sorry I was out."

"That's fine. I just…"

"You were just out saving the world again," she whipped out a comb.

"I just have this uneasy feeling, Jane."

She ran it gently through his hair.

"Every time we _think _it's over…bam. Something new emerges. I'm not sure if I can ever feel at ease again regarding this. 'Cause now I have to…"

She put it in her pocket.

"I now begin to wonder—_how long_? When is this whole thing going to start again? This little _drama_, or…or this--" He felt her arms around him from behind.

"Would you just relax? You did the hero thing, you're home, and you have a family that loves you." Jane paused. "Shouldn't that leave you a little happy right now?"

The captain stared ahead. "…" He lifted one of his hands, stroked one of hers…and the rarest of genuine smiles arrived. "Yeah," said Guile. "_That_…I guess that does make it a nice day."

**THE SAGA**

****


End file.
